Raspberry Coulis

September 19, 2015February 3, 2023Peggy Leave a comment

This wonderful sauce made from fresh or frozen raspberries can be used in many ways. Coulis is usually made without the seeds. But I don’t like to strain those out unless I’m putting on the dog for company, as there is so much healthy fiber in those seeds. Your call on that one, but leaving the seeds in gives you an added fiber deduction on the carb count! 🙂 This recipe makes about 1 cup of raspberry coulis, or 48 tsp. total That will top many scones, cookies, biscuits, a cheesecake, or float pretty liqueur-soaked poached pears or simply some sauteed apples! You can get creative with this sauce. 🙂

This recipe is suitable once you get to Phase 2 Atkins OWL or for Keto diets if you can fit in the carbs. It is suitable for Paleo-Primal if you use a plan-suitable thickener like chia seed gel.

More delicious low-carb recipes can be at your fingertips with your very own set of Jennifer Eloff and friends’ best-selling cookbooks LOW CARBING AMONG FRIENDS. She has collaborated with famous low-carb Chef George Stella and several other talented cooks to bring you a wealth of delicious recipes you are going to want to try. Several of my own creations appear in each of the 5 volumes! Order your set TODAY! (also available individually) from Amazon or our direct order site: http://amongfriends.us/order.php

DISCLAIMER: By personal choice, I do not accept payment for this book promotion nor for the inclusion of my recipes therein. I do so merely because they are GREAT cookbooks any low-carb cook would be proud to add to their cookbook collection.

INGREDIENTS:

1 c. fresh or frozen unsweetened raspberries (with juice)

3/4 c. sugar equivalent your favorite sweetener (I used ½ c. erythritol + ¼ c. Splenda)

about ¼ tsp. xanthan gum (or your favorite thickener

DIRECTIONS: Place the fruit in a medium saucepan. Add your sweetener. Bring to a simmer and lower to medium low heat. You can run it through a sieve to remove seeds, but I don’t bother as I don’t mind getting that added fiber. 😉 Simmer slow, stirring constantly, until it thickens to your liking for the intended purpose. Use for your application (either warm or chilled). Refrigerate any unused sauce in a lidded jar. Should keep about 5-7 days.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 1 cup or 48 tsp. Each teaspoon contains:

3.25 calories

0.03 g fat

0.77 g carbs, 0.39 g fiber, 0.38 g NET CARBS

0.06 g protein

trace sodium

Lemon Cookies

September 10, 2015September 12, 2015Peggy 6 Comments

Lemon Cookies

One of my favorite cookies! These bite-size treats are low in carbs, so you can have several without feeling guilty. These are not suitable until you are well into Phase 2 Atkins OWL. They can be fit into a Keto plan and Primal followers can enjoy them as well.

INGREDIENTS:

1 recipe my Almond Butter Cookies dough

Lemon zest from 2 lemons

Juice of 1 lemon

DIRECTIONS: Mix up the Almond Butter Cookie recipe per that recipe’s instructions. Add in the lemon zest and juice and stir well. I decided to make molded cookies with some silicone molds with 1¼” slots. Molds help me keep my cookies uniform in size. But you can just dip up about 1″ ball of dough and shape in a ball and place on non-stick sheet pans. Press the balls of dough slightly to make them a bit flatter (or to fill your mold to the edges of the slots). Pop into your preheated 350º oven for about 7-8 minutes or until lightly browned. These are delicate while hot, so cool them completely before removing from molds or your sheet pan. The browner you get them the chewier they are when completely cooled.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 36 small cookies, each contains:

80 calories

7.05 g fat

3.23 g carbs, 1.59 g fiber, 1.64 g NET CARBS

1.98 g protein

375 mg sodium

Baked Crookneck Squash

September 10, 2015September 12, 2015Peggy 1 Comment

If you’re looking for a new squash recipe, try simply baking it! The caramelized surface is sugary sweet when done this way. I’m certain you squash fans will love this method for a familiar recipe. Sometimes we get all wrapped up in “Ya gotta have a lot of ingredients” when Mother Nature has give us a marvelous taste with no additives whatsoever! This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins, Keto diets, Primal and Paleo as well.

INGREDIENTS:

1 8-oz. crookneck yellow squash

1 tsp. bacon grease (or butter)

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350º. Grease a small baking pan (I used metal) with the bacon grease. Rinse squash and cut tips off. Cut in half lengthwise and place cut side down in the pan. Bake in a 350º oven for about 45 min. or until soft to the touch at the thickest part. Remove from oven. Slide a metal spatula under each half and place on your serving plate. ENJOY their natural deliciousness!

NUTRITIONAL INFO: 1 squash makes 2 servings, each contains:

41 calories

2.4 g fat

9.2 g carbs, 2.15 g fiber, 7.05 g NET CARBS

1.05 g protein

5 mg sodium

“Fried” Green Beans

September 5, 2015September 5, 2015Peggy 2 Comments

“Fried” Green Beans

Every now and again I like to saute “fry” green beans instead of cooking them in water. Sometimes I add caramelized onion to the dish; sometimes I don’t. But either way, this is an unusual way to cook green beans. I think you’ll like these! They come out tasting somewhere between beans cooked tender-crisp in water the traditional way and roasted beans! Delicious by any definition! Give this fun and simple dish a try sometime and I think you will like them. This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins, Keto diets, Primal and Paleo followers.

INGREDIENTS:

1½ c. whole fresh green beans, trimmed of their tips

2 oz. sweet onion, slivered thin (I used red onion)

1 T. each butter AND bacon grease

DIRECTIONS: Trim the tips off the beans and rinse the beans under water and drain on paper towels. In a non-stick skillet, heat the butter and bacon grease. Saute the beans on medium high, stirring and turning them constantly, until they are beginning to brown. Add the sliced onions and continue to saute until they, too are browning and caramelizing. Saute until the beans are pretty tender but not mushy soft. They should still be a firm but not raw tasting. Serve at once.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 3 servings, each contains:

96 calories

8.2 g fat

5.36 g carbs, 2.03 g fiber, 3.33 g NET CARBS

1.2 g protein

90 mg sodium

Baby Corn Cakes

August 27, 2015November 24, 2020Peggy 7 Comments

Baby Corncakes

Corn is considered a no-no on a low-carb diet. And I so LOVE sweet, buttered corn. But if you use the baby corn so often seen in Chinese stir-fries for your low-carb corn recipes, the carb count drops dramatically because the corn has not yet formed the sugar seen it mature kernels! 🙂 This is yet another recipe putting this knowledge to clever use for a mild taste of corn in a side dish. I served these with a nice chipotle mayonnaise sauce (2 tsp. Tobasco Chipotle Sauce stirred into 1/4 c. creamy homemade mayo), pork chops and steamed, buttered broccoli and the meal was delicious! I think next time I’ll use real chipotles canned with Adobo sauce, mashed as the flavor would have been richer I think. I was being very lazy tonight and just used the bottled Tobasco version. This recipe is suitable once you reach Phase 2 of Atkins.

INGREDIENTS:

1 15-oz can baby corn, drained

½ c. Carbquik bake mix

1 egg

2 tsp. Tobasco Chipotle Sauce (this is not as hot as regular Tobasco sauce)

Dash each salt and pepper

Dash each garlic oil and hot chili oil (optional)

DIRECTIONS: Coarsely chop the drained corn by knife or pulse a few times in the food processor. Mix all ingredients in a mixing bowl or in your food processor. Heat some coconut oil or palm shortening in a skillet and crop batter by spoon into hot oil into 6 uniform patties. Brown nicely on both sides, waiting until side 1 is thoroughly browned before attempting to flip them over to side 2. Remove to paper towels and serve as is or with a chipotle mayonnaise sauce if you like.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 6 cakes, each contains:

51.5 cals, 4.68g fat, 5.61g carbs, 4.58g fiber, 1.03g NET CARBS, 3.06g protein, 214 mg sodium

Quinoa Spinach Salad

August 27, 2015September 18, 2015Peggy Leave a comment

This quick, refreshing summer salad was delicious and quite filling. For variety, you could add a bit of grilled chicken or grilled salmon on this for a more filling dish as well. This highly nutritious recipe is not suitable until Phase 2 of the Atkins low-carb program, not as some believe, because quinoa is a grain (because it’s actually a seed) but because it is so high in carbs. This is suitable for Keto folks if you can fit the carbs in your daily allowance.

SALAD INGREDIENTS:

1/3 lb. fresh spinach leaves

1 oz. red bell pepper, slivered

1 oz. red onion, slivered

¼ c. roasted sunflower seeds

2 T. raw quinoa (yields about 1/3 – ½ c. cooked)

DRESSING: 2 T. homemade mayonnaise, 2 T. balsamic vinaigrette, few drops hot chili oil and few drops garlic infused oil. Mix in a small bowl and stir well.

DIRECTIONS: Precook the quinoa per package instructions or about 15 minutes. I tend to cook up more and refrigerate what I don’t need for other uses so the small amount isn’t so inclined to burn while cooking. Set aside to cook down a bit. Make up the dressing next and set aside. Finally measure out and toss together the vegetables in a large salad bowl. Sprinkle the quinoa on top and drizzle the dressing over all. Finally add a dash each of salt and black pepper. Toss well and serve up on 4 large plates.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 4 servings, each contains:

183 calories

16.9 g fat

9.15 g carbs, 2.37 g fiber, 6.78 g NET CARBS

3.77 g protein

122 mg sodium

Pesto-Sausage Pizza

August 25, 2015September 12, 2015Peggy 2 Comments

I’ve always loved the smell and taste of fresh basil, but it often doesn’t agree with me. Interesting thing is the dried basil doesn’t bother me a bit. This creation for my husband’s lunch today went over well. He has always been fond of basil and loved it. Better yet, this didn’t bother my stomach! The key for my tolerance of basil, it would seem, is the amount of basil consumed. This gluten-free, grain-free crust would make this recipe suitable for Phase 2 Atkins and beyond. It is also suitable for Keto followers. The crust isn’t suitable for Primal or Paleo however.

INGREDIENTS:

1 recipe my Gluten-Free Grain-Free Pizza Crust

2 c. more shredded mozzarella cheese

6 oz. breakfast sausage, pre-browned and drained of grease

¼ pesto sauce (I used my homemade Pesto Sauce)

¼ c. grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350º. In a medium bowl, make up the crust batter per that recipe’s instructions (linked above). Spread batter evenly on a parchment lined pizza pan (preferable a pan with holes). Bake until it is just barely dry to the touch in the center but not very browned. While it is baking, brown the sausage lightly and drain off any excess grease. Remove crust from oven when half cooked, slide parchment out from under the pizza for better crust browning. Sprinkle 1 cup mozzarella over the top of the crust. Next sprinkle the sausage crumbles on top evenly. Dot with the pesto sauce. Finally top with the remaining mozzarella and the grated Parmesan. Bake just long enough to melt the remaining cheese or about 5 more minutes.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 8 slices. Each slice contains:

377 calores

29 g fat

4.37 g carbs, 2.85 g fiber, 2.85 g NET CARBS

23 g protein

371 mg sodium

Mayonado Dip

August 24, 2015April 25, 2023Peggy 2 Comments

I always have the ingredients around the house for this favorite snack. We call this one MAYONADO. Nothing like coining your own words! I fixed a favorite to stand in as our salad with our Italian Bolognese Penne dinner tonight. My husband brought home 6 avocados at the grocery store that were discounted because they were already getting pretty ripe and one was past its prime. I knew I needed to use that one tonight for sure!

I’ve combined mayonnaise with avocado for various purposes but never added Ranch® style flavoring to the mélange before. Man, is that ever good! This dip is great on cucumber slices, but would be great for dipping cherry tomatoes, raw cauliflower, broccoli flowerets, sliced yellow squash, zucchini slices, carrot & celery sticks. It would make a tasty dip for fried chicken strips or French fries, too. The shawarma spice really adds something special and then the Ranch® seasoning………….well……takes it to a whole new level This recipe is Atkins Induction friendly and suitable for all keto diets, Primal and Paleo.

INGREDIENTS:

1 small avocado, peeled and pitted

6 T. my homemade Shawarma mayonnaise

1 oz. yellow or white onion

Dash salt

few drops lemon or lime juice to prevent discoloring of the avocado

1 T. my Ranch Dressing Powder Blend

DIRECTIONS: Peel and seed the avocado. Place the flesh into a blender or processor with all the other ingredients. Pulse until it it smooth. Serve any of the above mentioned ways or get creative and think of new applications for this delightful concoction!

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes about 10 T. Each tablespoon contains:

90.4 cals, 9.2g fat, 4.29g carbs, 2.08g fiber, 2.21g NET CARBS, 0.62g protein, 19 mg sodium

Broccoli and Mushrooms al Pesto

August 22, 2015August 23, 2015Peggy 5 Comments

I decided to take some of my low-carb glucomannan dumplings and add some pesto sauce recently and was that ever good! I need to post that gnocchi recipe, too, soon. We had a few gnocchi leftover so I created this tasty way to serve broccoli tonight. Simple really and quite tasty with baked chicken. Just a little caramelized onion, mushrooms and cream and VOILA, a tasty side! It was so good with chicken, next time I think I’ll saute cut-up bite-size chicken bits and add it right into the dish for a casserole, with some fresh Parmesan cheese grated over it for a binder! This dish is suitable for all phases of Atkins, Keto diets. It is not suitable for Primal-Paleo due to dumpling ingredients.

DISCLAIMER: By personal choice, I do not accept payment for this book promotion nor for the inclusion of my recipes therein. I do

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 recipe my Dumplings made into small gnocchi

1 oz. slivered onion

2 T. butter

4-oz. can sliced mushrooms, undrained

2 T. heavy cream

1/8 tsp. xanthan gum (optional to thicken sauce slightly)

10 broccoli flowerets

1½ T. pesto sauce (or a commercial sauce is OK)

Dash each salt and black pepper

DIRECTIONS: Make a batch of my dumpling dough in a small bowl, stirring ½ tbsp. pesto sauce right into the batter. Cook according tot he directions in that recipe (linked above). You will only need a small part of it for this vegetable dish. Roll ¼ of the pesto-flavored dough into a ½” “rope. You can make up the rest of the dough into more gnocchi or larger dumplings for a soup or other meal. Cut the “rope” into small bites about ½” balls, allowing the cut off pieces to land on a silicone sheet, Silpat® or waxed paper. These DO swell up and will almost double in size when gently simmered. When the dumplings are done cooking dip out of the water with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels until ready to serve.

In a medium ceramic vegetable dish, steam the broccoli in a bit of water until nearly done (about 3-4 minutes on HI in your microwave). Drain off water. Stir in the cream, xanthan gum, mushrooms with their liquid (or drain if you prefer), the remaining pesto sauce, salt and pepper and set aside.

Now melt the butter in a small skillet and saute the onion until it begins to brown. I didn’t brown mine quite enough and will do so next time. 🙂 Remove onions from heat. Stir the pesto gnocchi into the broccoli-mushroom mixture. Finally spread the caramelized onions on the top. You can add fresh grated Parmesan cheese to the top if you like, but I have not included that in my numbers below. You can serve at once (which I did) or pop into an oven for 15-20 minutes to allow flavors to mellow even more. ENJOY!

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 3 servings, each contains:

168 calories

15.8 g fat

5.73 g carbs, 2.06 g fiber, 3.67 g NET CARBS

3.73 g protein

248 mg sodium

Creamy Sofrito Salad Dressing

June 17, 2015August 17, 2015Peggy 4 Comments

Creamy Sofrito Salad Dressing

People often ask for more salad dressing recipes. So here’s a new one for you to try out. My regular readers know how smitten I am with Puerto Rican Sofrito sauce. Here’s yet another wonderful use for this versatile herb sauce. Since sofrito goes so well with seafood, I decided to add some boiled shrimp to this salad. You could make it broiled shrimp if you prefer. This was a very filling and delicious salad. My husband said “You can make this salad again any old time!” It really was delicious, so this one is definitely a keeper. This is suitable for all phases of Atkins and Keto diets. It’s suitable for Primal followers, too, but not for Paleo enthusiasts without subbing for the dairy items.

INGREDIENTS:

2 T. my Sofrito

Dash each salt, black pepper (toasted minced onion if you have some on hand)

¼ c. sour cream

2 T. heavy cream (whipping cream)

1 T. Balsamic Vinaigrette (or splash each olive oil + splash vinegar of choice)

DIRECTIONS: Stir all ingredients together until smooth. Should make about 9 tablespoons or 4 servings. Refrigerate covered any leftovers. Should keep for 3-5 days. Top your favorite tossed greens salad.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 4 servings of 2 Tbsp. of dressing. Each serving contains: (does not include the base salad greens or shrimp)

120 calories

12.9 g fat

1.65 g carbs, 0.32 g fiber, 1.33 g NET CARBS

.75 g protein

72 mg sodium

Balsamic Baked Chicken

June 10, 2015August 17, 2015Peggy 2 Comments

Baked Balsamic Chicken

My husband’s favorite way to have chicken is baked. This is my latest creation that we BOTH really liked. DELICIOUS!! And the pan juices are marvelous drizzled over the meat when done. It’s simple and truly a “set it and forget it” ® meal.

This recipe uses 3 leg quarters, but if using a whole cut-up chicken, I would use the entire recipe of the Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing. No need to increase the butter. This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins and Keto diets. It is also suitable for Paleo and Primal regimens if you use clarified butter or ghee.

More delicious low-carb recipes to help keep you on track can be at your fingertips with your very own set of Jennifer Eloff and friends’ best-selling cookbooks LOW CARBING AMONG FRIENDS. She has collaborated with famous low-carb Chef George Stella and several other talented cooks to bring you a wealth of delicious recipes you are going to want to try. Even a few of my recipes are in each of the 5 volumes! Order your set TODAY! (also available individually) from Amazon or our direct order site: http://amongfriends.us/order.php

INGREDIENTS:

3 chicken leg quarters, cut at the joint (or 1 while cut-up chicken)

4 T. melted unsalted butter

½ recipe my Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing (click for recipe)

Dash each sea salt and black pepper

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 375º. Cut the leg quarters at the joints so you have 6 pieces total (3 drumsticks and 3 thighs). While oven is heating, place butter in a metal 9×13 baking pan to melt. Prepare vinaigrette dressing while the butter is melting. When butter has melted, add ½ of the vinaigrette and stir. Place chicken, skin side up in the pan. With a basting brush, baste all pieces with the buttery mixture. Place back in oven and bake 25 minutes. Remove pan and re-baste the pieces with pan juices again. Return pan to oven and continue baking until pieces are golden brown and done. I often baste right before serving and put pan juices in a gravy boat for people to add more at the table. Enjoy with your favorite low-carb vegetables.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes three 2-piece servings, each serving contains:

632 calories

52.9 g fat

1.26 g carbs, 0.66 g fiber, 0.60 NET CARBS

37.33 g protein

705 mg sodium (omit salt to pull to 651 mg.)

Stuffed Cabbage Soup

June 5, 2015June 15, 2015Peggy 9 Comments

Stuffed Cabbage Soup

My husband and I disagreed on the name of this soup. I voted for Stuffed Pepper Soup, as that taste was dominant for me; he voted for Stuffed Cabbage Soup, as that flavor was more dominant for him. What we DID agree on is that is was DELICIOUS! I put way too much quinoa in mine and will cut back to the amount shown in the recipe below in future. If you are still in the initial 2-week Induction phase, you need to leave out the quinoa altogether.

INGREDIENTS:

2 c. chopped cabbage

3 oz. chopped onion

1 can (1½ c.) diced tomatoes (no sugar added)

1 c. green bell pepper, diced coarsely

1/3 c. quinoa

3 c. beef bone broth

8 oz. diced cooked beef (I used leftover chuck roast)

DIRECTIONS: Place all ingredients into a pot. Simmer just until the quinoa is tender. Add water if the liquid evaporates too much. Serve at once.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 6 servings, each contains:

175 calories

8.7 g fat

12.76 g carbs, 2.35 g fiber, 10.41 g NET CARBS

11.7 g protein

140 mg sodium

Roasted “Candied” Carrots

June 5, 2015August 18, 2020Peggy 8 Comments

Roasted Candied Carrots

This was always a favorite of my mother. Of course, she always made them with real brown sugar, but mine taste just as good! Honest!! These are seriously good and you really need to try them if you’ve never roasted or candied carrots! She would serve these tasty carrots with roasted turkey at holiday time, or alongside baked chicken or pork roasts throughout the year. They shrink a lot during the roasting process, so be sure to make plenty for your crowd. 🙂 These are a bit higher in carbs than the green beans on the plate above, but can be enjoyed occasionally once you’ve passed the initial 2-week Induction period of your low-carb diet. 🙂

INGREDIENTS:

5-6 medium carrots (5-6″ long), peeled and sliced into 3-4 long strips

2 T. melted butter

1 T. erythritol or sweetener of choice equivalent to 1 T. sugar

¼ tsp. maple extract

Dash salt (optional)

Dash pepper (optional)

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350º. Peel and slice the carrots lengthwise (3-4 slices per carrot, or about 3/16″ thick). Melt the butter in a 9×13 baking pan (I used metal). Needs to be this large for easy tossing during cooking and to be sure they lay in a single layer. Remove from oven and add maple extract, sweetener, salt and pepper if using. Stir well. Lay the carrots in a single layer at the bottom, flipping them to coat both sides with the butter mixture. Pop into oven and bake around 40 minutes, tossing/flipping them once at the 20 minute mark. They should be fairly tender when done, but if thicker slices are slightly underdone, no problem. They will be just be a little chewier, which I kind of like, personally. 🙂 Enjoy with your favorite meat and green entree!

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 3 adult servings, each contains:

119 cals, 7.9g fat, 11.76g carbs, 3.43g fiber, 7.33g NET CARBS, 1.23g protein, 190mg sodium

Sausage al Pesto a la Putanesca

June 3, 2015September 1, 2015Peggy 5 Comments

Sausage al Pesto a la Putanesca

I love to make dishes like this in the summertime because they are so fast, easy and don’t heat up the kitchen for long. I’m in Texas and our summers can be mercilessly hot. This dinner last night came together in about 15-20 minutes total and was extremely tasty. This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins!

INGREDIENTS:

2 medium zucchini, cut into “noodles” (makes about 2-2½ cups) with your favorite noodling tool or julienne peeler

1 T. olive oil

1 3-oz. onion, sliced

3 links smoked sausage, sliced thin (I used Meyers, made in Elgin, Texas)

1 small can sliced black olives (64 grams)

1 clove garlic, minced

2 T. my Pesto Sauce

1 medium tomato, seeded and cut into wedges

1 anchovy, mashed well (mine was 3″ long, imported, in a jar)

INSTRUCTIONS: Cut zucchini into thin noodles with your noodling tool. Have non-stick skillet ready but set aside the zucchini noodles for now. Add olive oil to skillet but just set skillet near the stove for now. In another non-stick skillet, brown the sausage. Add onion and saute until tender. Drain of any excess grease. Add olives, garlic and pesto sauce. Next add the tomato wedges and mashed anchovy. Stir and saute a couple minutes to allow flavors to meld but not allow to cook down to mush. While it is cooking, heat the other pan with the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add zucchini noodles and stirring with a kitchen fork several times, saute just until they go limp, or about 2-3 minutes. Toss zoodles into the sausage mixture and serve at once with low-carb garlic bread.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 3 large servings, each contains:

331 calories

31.9 g fat 10.9 g carbs, 3.53 g fiber, 7.37 g NET CARBS

14.8 g protein

698 mg sodium

Smoky Poblanos

May 3, 2015May 3, 2015Peggy 2 Comments

Smoky Poblanos

I had 2 poblano peppers and a small bit of smoked ham to use up somehow for lunch, and these treats made for a nice lunch today. I used grated Monterrey Jack cheese, but sliced would be easier to work with. Just didn’t have any on hand. The key to these is to sear them off (or roast them) in a skillet. Most poblanos are not hot, but I have gotten hold of some hot ones once or twice. Roasting or searing them takes most of the heat out and sweetens them up! In fact these 2 today were the sweetest I’ve ever eaten! I made a couple with cheddar cheese but personally didn’t care for it. This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins, Ketogenic diets and Primal Blueprint, but with cheese it is not suitable for Paleo.

INGREDIENTS:

Poblano peppers average 4-5″ and are very dark green.

2 poblano peppers about 5″ long

2 slices or 2 oz. Monterrey Jack Cheese (or Pepper Jack)

4 oz. fried, cured ham (or 4 slices bacon)

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350º. Fry ham (or bacon) until lightly browned but is not dried out. Cut stem end off the peppers and cut them lengthwise. Remove seeds. Cut the walls of each pepper into five 1″-wide strips, making 10 pointed strips. Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet or on a griddle. Sear the peppers on both sides until lightly browned and turn off heat. Turn each piece of pepper skin side down. Cut fried ham into long thin strips about ¼-½” wide. Lay a strip(s) of ham on each strip of poblano pepper. If using sliced cheese, cut each slice into 5 strips. Top each with a strip of cheese (or 1 T. if using shredded cheese). Pop skillet or griddle into oven and heat until cheese is melted. These will require a fork, knife and small plate to eat. ENJOY!

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 10 pieces, each piece contains: (serves 2-5 people, depending on whether they are served with other food or not)

55 Calories

Cheddar version

4 g. fat

0.66 g carbs, 0.22 g fiber, 0.44 g NET CARBS

3.9 g protein

212 mg sodium

My Staple Pantry Baking Items

May 2, 2015May 18, 2024Peggy 11 Comments

I often get asked for a list of what ingredients I keep stocked in my pantry for baking. I’m not a big sweets eater, but my husband is, so I try to bake him something once a week……….LOW-CARB, of course. 🙂 These are the ingredients I have found over 6 years of low-carb baking experiments that I just MUST keep in my baking pantry at all times. The first 4 items in red will probably last you about a year, so don’t let the price of a bag scare you off. Other items will last varying lengths of time, depending on how often you bake and size package you buy.

If you are new to low-carbing, you can spread the cost out over time by buying just 1 or 2 each month. Eventually you’ll have your pantry stocked with what will cover most of your low-carb baking needs. I order most of the hard-to-find ingredients from Netrition.com, as they offer flat-rate shipping. However I order my coconut flour and bulk almond flour at Honeyvillegrains.com as they have the finest grind I can find for those two items, resulting in nicer textured baked goods in my opinion. I store the overage in my chest freezer in large Tupperware® containers.

Oat Fiber (NOT oat flour or oat bran!)

Glucomannan Powder (also called Konjac powder)

Xanthan gum

Einkorn Whole Wheat and Einkorn All-Purpose White Flours (I order from Jovial Foods.com)

Almond Flour

Coconut Flour

Plain Whey Protein Isolate (unflavored, unsweetened)

Oat Flour (I grind from whole oats myself)

Erythritol

Stevia

Splenda®

Carbquik® Bake Mix

Jennifer Eloff’s low-carb Splendid Gluten-Free Bake Mix (click for the recipe)

Golden Flax Meal

Dark Flax Meal

“Loaded” Meatloaf Casserole

April 23, 2015March 7, 2022Peggy 9 Comments

“Loaded” Meatloaf Casserole

Sometimes you have a little meatloaf leftover, but not quite enough for another meal or or quite enough for everybody to make a lunch sandwich either. Last night I found the perfect solution for a measly 6 oz. of leftover meatloaf. It was so good my husband said “You can make that again anytime.” It really was delicious! Few ingredients but lots of flavor. If sodium is an issue for you, the only way to reduce that would be to eliminate some of the cheese in this. This recipe is suitable for Atkins Induction and Keto diets. Primal folks will want to cut back on the cheese probably. This is not suitable for Paleo.

INGREDIENTS:

1 5-inch head of cauliflower, cut into flowerettes

1 oz. cream cheese

6 oz. leftover meatloaf, chopped up (I use this meatloaf recipe)

1 c. green onion, chopped

4 slices American Deluxe cheese

1 c. shredded Cheddar cheese

3 slices bacon, chopped and cooked

DIRECTIONS: Chop and brown the bacon. Drain on paper towels. Boil cauliflower just until tender. Preheat oven to 350º. When cauliflower is tender, drain off water and place the cauli back in the pot. Slightly mash it with a fork into smaller bits. Add cream cheese and stir in to melt. Add the diced meatloaf, bacon and green onion. Stir again to distribute all uniformly. Lightly grease large casserole dish. Spoon up half the mixture into the baking dish. Tear the American slices into 3 long strips and arrange 2-slices worth of it evenly on top. Sprinkle with half the Cheddar cheese. Spoon the rest of the cauliflower mixture on next and top with the remaining two slices of stripped American cheese. Top with the rest of the cheddar. Pop dish into hot oven for about 20-25 minutes or until the cheese in nicely melted. ENJOY!

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 6 servings, each contains:

285 calories

19.6 g fat

9.26 g carbs, 3.10 g fiber, 6.16 g NET CARBS

19.3 g protein

681 mg sodium

Cilantro-Avocado-Chipotle Dressing

April 20, 2015July 28, 2020Peggy 7 Comments

Looking for a delicious new salad dressing? This one is so good I often have salad seconds when I make it. 🙂 This dressing is not hot as there is only a hint of the chipotle (smoked jalapeno). Those that like a little “heat” might want to use a whole chipotle pepper in their dressing.

INGREDIENTS:

1 ripe avocado, peeled and seeded

½ c. slightly packed cilantro (omit if you don’t like cilantro)

¼ c. drained plain yogurt or Greek yogurt

¼ c. each sour cream, whipping cream and mayonnaise (I use homemade mayo)

½ clove garlic, pressed in a garlic press

1 T. fresh lime juice

Dash salt

½ chipotle pepper (the kind canned in adobo sauce), rinsed and seeded (use whole one for more heat)

1 T. red wine vinegar (optional)

DIRECTIONS: Add all ingredients to the bowl of a blender or food processor and process until smooth. If any is leftover, I would encourage you to add 1 T. more lime juice (to prevent discolorations of the avocado). It should keep a couple days in the fridge in a tightly covered container.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes about 1½ cups or 24 tablespoons. Each tablespoon contains:

40 cals, 3.9g fat 0.99g carbs, 0.5g fiber, 0.49g NET CARBS, 0.56g protein, 11 mg sodium

Einkorn Banana Cake

April 13, 2015April 18, 2015Peggy Leave a comment

4-Serving Einkorn Banana Cake

This is quick and delicious. I cut into 4 thick chunks, but you can cut carbs on this cake cutting it into 5 servings that are more like standard slices. This cake is incredibly smooth in texture. I’m really, really liking the smooth texture my Einkorn Bake Mix brings to my baked goods with only a slight increase in carbs. Like Bisquick®, it is a complete mix with leavening and fat inclused. I use palm shortening in it which has an even longer shelf life than coconut oil. I consider the slight carb increase on my Einkorn recipes as respectable, since there is some real wheat flour in it, although healthier ancient, unmodified Einkorn wheat. This cake is not too sweet and is very moist. It is not suitable until you are in Atkins Pre-Maintenance or Maintenance as it has real banana and Einkorn wheat flour, so it is slightly higher in carbs than most of my cakes. This cake will only fit into a Keto diet if you can fit the carbs in your daily limit.

Baked in 5 x 7″ dish

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup my Einkorn Bake Mix

2 large eggs

¼ c. erythritol (or other sweetener to equal ¼ c. sugar)

Tiny sprinkle of stevia pwder

2 T. heavy cream

2/3 medium banana, mashed

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350º. Grease a 5 x 7 baking dish. In a medium mixing bowl, mash the banana (you are using only 2/3 of the banana to cut down carbs). Add eggs, sweetener and cream and beat them smooth with the banana. Dip up 1 cup of my bake mix and with a whisk, beat the batter until smooth. With a rubber spatula, scrape the batter into your greased dish. Pop into 350º oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until it passes a clean/dry toothpick test in the middle or springs back when touched at center. Remove and cool a few minutes before attempting to slice and eat.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 4 servings, each contains:

230 calories

18.2 g fat

12.75 g carbs, 2.80 g fiber, 9.95 g NET CARBS

9.2 g protein

106 mg sodium

NOTE——Serving this in 5 slices will reduce calories to 184, 14.5g fat, 10.2g carbs, 2.24g fiber, 7.96g NET CARBS, 7.3g protein and 84 mg sodium

Einkorn Cracklin’ Cornbread

April 11, 2015November 16, 2022Peggy 3 Comments

I truly had forgotten about this fun cornbread my paternal Granny used to make in a cast iron skillet. Hers was pretty coarse, as she made her own cracklin’s which were quite tough to chop up. But thanks to modern inventions 😉 I used a food processor and created a tasty little crackling bread. It’s high in sodium because of the pork rinds, but nobody makes those unsalted to my knowledge (and I just won’t make them from scratch). This bread came out delicious!! It was so moist. It tasted very much like regular cornbread and definitely like the Cracklin’ Cornbread my Granny used to make. Make yourself a batch and slather it in butter! This is not suitable until you are quite a ways along in your weight loss efforts and nearly to goal weight (pre-Maintenance or Maintenance), due to the hominy. Makes a nice foundation for holiday turkey stuffing, too.

INGREDIENTS:

½ c. Juanita’s Mexican hominy, drained well

4 eggs

1 T. + 1 tsp. Fresh Corn Flavoring

3/4 c. buttermilk (2% is what I used)

4 drops yellow food coloring (optional)

1 c. my Einkorn Bake Mix (or other low-carb mix)

2 tsp. baking soda

1 T. psyllium

1 c. pork rind flour (rinds crushed fine)

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350º. Cut a piece of parchment to fit the bottom of a 9″ round cake pan. Grease the sides of the pan with oil. Place the hominy, buttermilk and eggs in the food processor. Add the food coloring and corn flavoring. Process until fairly smooth. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl. Measure all dry ingredients on top and stir until if forms a smooth batter. It will be a thick batter (you can add 1-2 T. more buttermilk if you think it is too thick. With a rubber spatula, scrape the batter into the pan and spread it evenly with the spatula. Pop into preheated 350º oven. Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until a toothpick stuck in the center comes out dry and clean. Ovens vary, so yours may take 5 minutes or so more cooking time. Remove and slice into 8 pieces. Serve warm with butter.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 8 slices, each one contains:

190 cals, 12.4g fat, 8.61g carbs, 2.3g fiber, 6.31g NET CARBS, 12.37g protein, 578 mg sodium (from the pork rinds)

Pork and Cilantro Soup

April 5, 2015April 6, 2015Peggy 2 Comments

Pork and Cilantro Soup

This was a delicious surprise! I always save all my pork broth (freeze it) when I roast a Boston butt or pork roast of any kind. I also always save all the juices when I pre-bake country ribs in my roaster oven an hour that we plan to than smoke on the grill. All that good juice just ends up in the pan and it makes WONDERFUL soups. This one I created for our lunch today and it was incredibly delicious! This would not be suitable for Atkins Induction unless you substitute diced yellow or calaba (Mexican zucchini) for the chickpeas. Chickpeas, although carb-y, have little impact on blood glucose, so they are very healthy without negatively impacting those with insulin resistance like other legumes do. This soup is well worth a try! If you’re not a low-carber, I would double the chickpeas listed below. 😉

INGREDIENTS:

6 c. good, homemade pork broth

1 cup tap water

2 c. cooked pork meat, diced

3 Roma tomatoes, diced large

2 cloves minced garlic

1 cup chickpeas (I always use homemade, simply boiled in pure water, as they are lower in carbs than canned)

Dash chili powder

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

½-1 tsp. dried guajillo chiles, seeded and chopped coarsely (these are not hot)

¼ tsp. sea salt

1 c. (packed) cilantro, chopped coarsely

DIRECTIONS: Add all ingredients but the cilantro to a soup pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower heat to a simmer and cook for 20-minutes or until tomatoes are just softened. Add cilantro and simmer 5-10 minutes longer. Taste and adjust seasoning to your taste. Serve at once.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 4 large bowls (about 1½ c. each). Each bowl has:

295 calories

15.3 g fat

13.87 g carbs, 3.70 g fiber, 10.17 g NET CARBS (less if you sub in squash for the chickpeas)

25 g protein

427 mg sodium

Pink Cream Sauce

March 29, 2015October 1, 2015Peggy 16 Comments

A quick sauce many chefs like to use in a variety of ways. It’s good on fish, chicken, some vegetables and even scrambled eggs. This sauce is Atkins Induction friendly and a pleasant way to change up those boneless, skinless chicken breasts. If you’re at the Atkins Phase 2, 1-2 T. of white wine is good added to this sauce. This sauce is suitable for Paleo-Primal diners only if you use coconut milk instead of heavy cream. This sauce compliments steamed asparagus and steamed cauliflower very nicely.

More delicious low-carb recipes can be at your fingertips with your very own set of Jennifer Eloff and friends’ best-selling cookbooks LOW CARBING AMONG FRIENDS. She has collaborated with famous low-carb Chef George Stella and several other talented chefs to bring you a wealth of delicious recipes you are going to want to try. Even a few of my recipes are in her cookbooks! Order your 5-volume set TODAY! (available individually) from Amazon or: http://amongfriends.us/order.php

DISCLAIMER: By personal choice, I do not accept payment for this book promotion or for the inclusion of my recipes therein. I do so merely because they are GREAT cookbooks any low-carb cook would be proud to add to their cookbook collection

INGREDIENTS:

1 T. butter

2 T. tomato paste

1 c. heavy cream (or coconut milk for Primal-Paleo)

Dash black pepper

Dash salt

Optional: 1-2 T. white or rose wine (not for those still on Induction)

DIRECTIONS: In a small saucepan, melt the tablespoon of butter. If using, add white wine (not for Induction). Add tomato paste and stir to blend well. Add salt and black pepper. Slowly stir in the cream, a couple tablespoons at a time until tomato paste is thinning down a bit. Slowly add rest of cream in small increments, stirring constantly until sauce is thickened and will coat the spoon/spatula. Pour into gravy boat and serve at once over chicken, fish, vegetables or scrambled eggs. Optional garnish: chopped parsley or tarragon flakes.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION: Makes 4 servings, each contains: (calculated using all heavy cream)

237 calories

25 g fat

3.17 g carbs, 0.32 g fiber, 2.85 g NET CARBS

1.6 g protein

90 mg sodium

Asian Honey Marinade

March 29, 2015March 29, 2015Peggy Leave a comment

Shown on a roasted duck

I roasted the most delicious duck in the oven recently. I used a slightly sweet Asian-style marinade that was delicious on it. I used Boyajian infused oils, but few will have those on hand, so I took the liberty of substituting fresh garlic and chile paste into the recipe and calculated my numbers below accordingly. This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins and acceptable for Paleo-Primal followers if you use real honey rather than the sugar-free variety.

I suspect this delicious marinade would be good also on chicken or pork ribs.

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 c. homemade chicken stock

2 T. sugar-free honey (I use Honey Tree I buy at Walmart. Use real honey if Paleo or Primal))

2 T. coconut aminos (or tamari or low sodium soy sauce)

1 tsp. apple cider vinegar

1/4 tsp. hot chile paste

½ clove minced garlic

DIRECTIONS: In a 9×13 plastic container, glass dish or gallon zip plastic bag. Mix the marinade ingredients right in the dish or bag. Add your duck, chicken or pork ribs. Manipulate the bag so that the marinade gets onto all surfaces of the meat. Marinate for about 1 hour in the refrigerator, mixing the pieces of meat in the bag again after 30 minutes. Oven bake or grill your duck, chicken or pork until properly cooked. OPTIONAL: Baste meat with marinade during cooking/grilling, but be sure you cook off the last application of sauce on both sides of the meat as the raw meat juices in it need to cook off properly.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes enough to marinade & baste 1 duck, 1 whole chicken or a rack of pork ribs.

8.3 calories

0.08 g fat

0.38 g carbs, 0.03 g fiber, 0.35 g NET CARBS

0.33 g protein

110 mg sodium

Sriracha Aioli

March 29, 2015March 29, 2015Peggy 2 Comments

Sriracha Aioli

A buttery aioli (mayonnaise-based) sauce is a lovely compliment to grilled seafood or grilled chicken. This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins and Keto diets. It is not suitable for Primal-Paleo lifestyles unless you can find a recipe for homemade Sriracha sauce.

DIRECTIONS: Process the following ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth. Scrape into serving dish and place in refrigerator until shrimp is grilled and you are ready to serve.

INGREDIENTS:

½ stick butter, melted (2 oz.)

1 jalapeno, seeded, ribs removed (optional)

1/3 c. Homemade Mayonnaise

½ c. fresh cilantro

Juice of 1 lime

Dash each salt and pepper

½ clove garlic, minced

Dash smoked chipotle chile powder

¼-1 tsp. Sriracha sauce (to your taste)

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 10 tablespoons or 5 servings of 2 T. each. Each serving contains:

231 calories

25.4g fat

1.5 g carbs, 0.5g fiber, 1 g NET CARBS

0.6g protein

77 mg sodium

Sloppy Joes

March 22, 2015June 21, 2020Peggy Leave a comment

Sloppy Joes have always been a comfort food for me and my husband. These taste great great! When I created the original recipe, I just started throwing things into the pot because I wasn’t sure what all to add, since I used to use one of those envelope seasoning mixes in my former life to make my Sloppy Joes. Well, I guess I grabbed the right things, because my husband gave these Sloppy Joes two thumbs up. Not too juicy; respectable enough carb count to have them on the rare occasion.

Now I didn’t exactly use the lowest carb bun recipe I have for these. You can trim the carbs a bit using a lower carb bun than the Einkorn Sandwich Buns I am using tonight. It’s what I already had baked and ready to eat. For this reason, I’m providing nutritional info for the meat mixture separately. This would only be suitable for Atkins Induction if you use a Flax bun or a Muffin in a Minute (without sweetener and cinnamon, of course). Ok for Keto Diets on a plan-suitable bun, provided you can fit the carbs into your daily limit. Only Paleo-Primal suitable on a plan acceptable bun and if you use honey instead of the sweetener.

MEAT MIXTURE INGREDIENTS:

2 lb. ground beef

3 oz. onion, chopped

1 6-oz. can tomato paste

1 c. water

¼-½ c. apple cider vinegar (or other vinegar you have)

½ c. red bell pepper, chopped

1 tsp. your favorite sweetener

¼ tsp. sea salt

¼ tsp. black pepper

Dash cayenne pepper

½ tsp. paprika

NOTE: You will need 8 of my 3″ Einkorn Sandwich Buns (linked in paragraph above) or 8 buns of your choosing.

DIRECTIONS: Brown the ground beef over high heat in a large non-stick pan (I used a non-stick wok). Add the onion and bell pepper and saute the two together until meat is browned and veggies are pretty tender. Drain grease off if excessive (I did not have to). Add tomato paste and stir in until evenly distributed. Add water and stir. I suggest adding half the vinegar to start out as you may not like yours as tangy as we do. Stir well. Add all the spices and lower heat to lowest setting. Simmer with a lid on the pot, stirring often to prevent sticking. Only add remaining vinegar if you like things tangy. Low simmer for about 30 minutes for vinegar to develop fully and flavors to co-mingle.

I like to split and toast my buns and spoon the meat mixture over both halves. Your call on whether you toast or not toast. Dip about 2/3 cup meat mixture into each bun or serve open-faced if you prefer.

NUTRITIONAL INFO (Meat Mixture alone): Make 8 portions of meat filling consisting of 2/3 cup each. 1/8 batch contains: (be sure to add in the values for the buns you choose)

246 calories, 15.4 g fat, 5.65 g carbs, 1.23 g fiber, 4.42 g NET CARBS, 22 g protein, 301 mg sodium

Einkorn Focaccia

March 22, 2015March 22, 2015Peggy 4 Comments

Einkorn Focaccia

This is basically just my Einkorn-Arrowroot Sandwich Bun recipe baked in a focaccia style sheet, cut into more portions. The original psyllium/hot water technique was inspired by Maria Emerich’s bread recipe so many have experimented with. I like a lot of crust on sandwiches, so I’m fond of making sheet bread for my sammies. I did add my 8-Seed Spice Blend on top, but you can use whatever herb/spices you like, or none at all, if that’s your pleasure. This doesn’t rise up very much, but if sliced carefully, you can slice it laterally/horizontally for a real thin bread, thus using only one portion for a sandwich. Men may want to use TWO portions/slices for their sandwiches. This bread, with its psyllium, is extremely filling, so women may want to only use one slice and slice it horizontally for a real thin layer of bread on their sandwiches. This bread has a wonderful flavor and elasticity I think you’ll like. This bread is not suitable until you are nearly to goal weight as it has 3 T. REAL wheat flour in it. Not a lot per serving, but still not allowed until the last level of the Atkins OWL carb reintroduction ladder. Save this recipe for Pre-Maintenance or the Maintenance phase of your diet.

Note: Most any brand of psyllium husk powder will work, but do NOT use Konsyl brand unless you want disastrous results. Been there; done that. That one just doesn’t work right.

INGREDIENTS:

1 tsp. dry yeast

1/3 tsp. real sugar (consumed by the yeast)

¼ c very warm tap water

1½ c. almond flour

3 T. Einkorn flour

1 T. coconut flour

4 T. psyllium powder (I use NOW brand)

2 tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. sea salt

1 T. arrowroot powder

3 egg whites (whole or from carton)

2½ T. apple cider vinegar

½ c. boiling water (in addition tot he 1/4 c. above)

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350º. Line a 9×13 cake pan with parchment paper and set aside. Put a kettle of water on to boil while you make your bread dough.

In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast, sugar and warm tap water. Allow to sit and develop while you mix the other bread ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, measure out and mix all the dry ingredients. Stir well until uniformly mixed. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg whites and vinegar together.

Combine the yeast mixture with the egg mixture and stir gently. Add this egg-yeast mixture all at once to the dry ingredients and quickly with a fork, stir it briskly into a uniform thick mixture. Immediately measure out and pour the ½ cup boiling water over the top of the dough and with your fork, stir very quickly until it comes together into a uniform dough. Switch to a rubber spatula and continue to stir and fold the dough, scraping the sides of the bowl as it thickens up to form a single ball of dough. Scrape the dough onto the parchment-lined pan and with the rubber spatula or plastic-gloved hands, press it out to the edges fo the pan. You must work quickly as the psyllium will continue to swell/thicken, making the dough more difficult to spread out. If using spices, sprinkle now with 1-2 tsp. of any herbs/seed mixture you like and slightly press it into the dough with your hands. Pop pan into preheated 350º oven and bake for 30-33 minutes (ovens vary) until the edges are just beginning to brown a wee bit. Remove and cool slightly before slicing into 8 equal portions/slices.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 8 servings/slices of bread, each slice/serving contains:

156. calories

10.8 g fat

12.48 g carbs, 6.32 g fiber, 6.16 g NET CARBS

6.53 g protein

193 mg sodium

Pork and Spanish “Rice”

March 14, 2015March 21, 2015Peggy 4 Comments

Pork and Spanish “Rice”

When I was growing up my mother made a braised chicken dish she called Chicken and Spanish Rice. The skin-on chicken pieces were first browned in oil, the rest of the dish was put together and then the masterpiece was oven-baked in a deep, tightly-covered Dutch oven. Man, was it ever good! The smell drove us wild while it was cooking. I was thinking about that today and wondering what to do for dinner with 3 pieces of pork loin I had leftover. BINGO! Why not Pork and Spanish Rice? Turns out that was a GREAT decision. This came out fantastic! I don’t know why, as this wasn’t in Mom’s original dish, but using cauli-rice in this, I thought it might need something extra……….so I added some Monterrey Jack shredded cheese on the top. Although not offensive on this, it truly didn’t add a thing and I will not do so in future (not calculated in the nutritional stats below either. This new recipe for pork was so good it WILL have a future in my kitchen. 🙂 This recipe is suitable for Atkins Induction, Keto diets, Primal and Paleo as well. 🙂 VARIATION: Make it with skin on chicken rather than pork. After heating the oil, brown the chicken over high heat on all sides. Set on platter while you cook the rest of the ingredients in the skillet/Dutch oven. Construct the meat/veggie mixture, stir in the cauli-rice and lay the chicken pieces on the surface evenly. Tightly cover and bake about 45 minutes or until chicken is fully done. The “rice” (even when I made it with real rice) is very soft in this method of preparation. Just so you know what to expect.

More delicious low-carb recipes can be at your fingertips with your very own set of Jennifer Eloff and friends’ best-selling cookbooks LOW CARBING AMONG FRIENDS. She has collaborated with famous low-carb Chef George Stella and several other talented cooks to bring you a wealth of delicious recipes you are going to want to try. Even a few of my recipes are in each of the 5 volumes! Order your set TODAY! (also available individually) from Amazon or: http://amongfriends.us/order.php DISCLAIMER: By personal choice, I do not receive money for this book promotion nor for the inclusion of my recipes therein. I do so merely because they are GREAT cookbooks any low-carb cook would be proud to add to their cookbook collection.

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. cauliflower, riced by hand or processor

3/4 tsp. cumin

2 T. olive oil + 2 T. chicken fat or finely diced chicken skin (or 1/4 c. olive oil)

3 oz. onion, chopped coarsely

4 oz. green bell pepper, chopped coarsely

3 cloves garlic, minced

12 oz. cooked pork loin or chops, cubed

Dash each chili powder, salt, black pepper

1/4 tsp. oregano (preferably Mexican oregano leaves if you have them)

1 can tomatoes, drained and chopped coarsely (or 3 fresh Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced)

Dash saffron threads (I used 5 threads)

2 T. cilantro, chopped (optional)

***Note: If you don’t save chicken fat when you make homemade chicken broth (rises to top when chilled) I would highly recommend when skinning chicken pieces for recipes, freeze that skin in a plastic bag to mince fine and render it for the fat. It adds so much flavor to recipes like this one or my Lebanese Baked Chicken recipe ;). That is precisely why I have never bought skinned chicken parts, not in my entire life, and I won’t go into how old I am. 🙂 The skin takes just seconds to pull of the meat and freeze in a plastic bag and you’ll be so glad you saved it on down the road. 🙂

DIRECTIONS: Dry roast the cumin in a dry skillet over medium heat until it smells toasty but is not burned. Remove and set aside. Rice the cauliflower either with a hand box grater or in a food processor. I like to do the stems first and a little extra before ricing the flowerettes. Set aside for now. Preheat oven to 350º. In a large skillet or dutch oven (One in photo is a 14″ skillet) heat the oil and chicken fat. Add the meat and slightly brown it on the surfaces. Add the onion, garlic and bell pepper. Saute to partially tenderize. Add roasted cumin, salt, pepper, chili powder, oregano and saffron threads. Stir in the tomatoes. Add the cilantro last, if using. Stir well. Turn off heat. Add the cauli-rice into the pot and stir to mix it evenly into the meat mixture. Cover the casserole pan or Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid. Pop into 350º oven for 35-40 minutes and allow flavors to blend. Pairs nicely with a lovely guacamole salad.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 6 servings, each contains:

240 calories

14.4 g fat 8.61 g carbs, 2.93 g fiber, 5.68 g NET CARBS

18.6 g protein

166 mg sodium

Raspberry Mousse

March 13, 2015September 11, 2016Peggy 4 Comments

Raspberry Mousse

This is a variation on Linda Genaw’s Cheesecake Pudding recipe. I have been in love with her vanilla version for years now. But it’s absolutely yummy with raspberries and a splash of rum. 🙂 This recipe is not suitable for Atkins Induction. But you can enjoy it after the initial 2 week period. 🙂

More delicious low-carb recipes can be at your fingertips with your very own set of Jennifer Eloff and friends’ best-selling cookbooks LOW CARBING AMONG FRIENDS. She has collaborated with famous low-carb Chef George Stella and several other talented cooks to bring you a wealth of delicious recipes you are going to want to try. Even a few of my recipes are in each of the 5 volumes! Order your set TODAY! (also available individually) from Amazon or: http://amongfriends.us/order.php DISCLAIMER: By personal choice, I do not receive money for this book promotion nor for the inclusion of my recipes therein. I do so merely because they are GREAT cookbooks any low-carb cook would be proud to add to their cookbook collection.

INGREDIENTS:

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 c. sour cream (8 oz.)

Sweetener of choice to equal 3/4 c. sugar. If you use Splenda or sweetener with carbs, you will have to add those carbs in below.

1 tsp. vanilla

2 c. frozen raspberries (thawed)

1 c. whipping cream, whipped until thick

1 T. rum (optional)

DIRECTIONS: In a medium bowl, whip the cream until thick and set aside. Next, on a paper plate, soften cream cheese in your microwave. Blend/process or stir the cream cheese with the sour cream. Add sweetener, rum and vanilla. Add berries and pulse 2-3 times only. Using a rubber spatula, scrape mixture into the bowl of whipped cream. Fold the two together gently until well blended. Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup or spoon, dip the mousse evenly into 10 half-cup ramekins or pretty serving dishes and chill 1 hour or longer.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 10 servings (about ½ cup each). Each contains:

225 calories, 21.8 g fat, 8.26 g carbs, 3.25 g fiber, 5.01 g NET CARBS, 3.5 g protein, 89 mg sodium

Jack Snacks

March 8, 2015February 10, 2019Peggy 463 Comments

Starting a low-carb diet? Bet you’re wondering what YOU can snack on when the rest of the family is enjoying verboten foods. Well this recipe, if you can call it a recipe, is one solution. It’s suitable for Atkins Induction Phase, Keto diets and even Primal followers that eat occasional cheese. Takes just minutes to make and bake! This is now my #1 recipe in popularity, having well over 30,000,000 fans on Facebook now, blowing my Lebanese Baked Chicken (my former #1 recipe) right out of the water. 🙂

And if you seed the jalapeno, like I did, these were not even all that hot (I don’t like real hot/spicy foods). Leave the seeds in if you like to spice things up! These are delicious and so low-cal/low-carb you could eat the entire batch if you were so inclined! The hubs and I split this batch equally and we both loved these! Now, to be quite honest, I’ve also just melted plain old pepper-jack cheese before, but these really are better for some reason. Maybe the cheese is better; maybe the fresh pepper is just better. All I know is these are much better than just melting jack cheese! 🙂 Some have asked, and if you try to save some and reheat, you better really watch them closely, as they are inclined to burn when reheated.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup shredded Monterrey Jack cheese

1 medium fresh jalapeno, sliced real thin

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350º. Place a sheet of parchment paper on a metal cookie sheet. DO NOT use a silicone/silpat sheet, waxed paper or foil (unless it’s the special non-stick foil) to bake these or they will not cook properly. Using a tablespoon, scoop up 1 T. of cheese and make a small pile on the parchment. Press it slightly flat. Repeat 15 more times. Place a slice of jalapeno on top of each pile. Pop into 350º oven for about 10-12 minutes. I would recommend browning them a wee bit more than shown in the photo for a firmer snack to serve at parties. These are somewhat pliable if under browned. Allow them to completely cool and fully firm up before removing from the pan for best results. 🙂

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 16, each contains:

25.5 cals, 2.13 g fat, 0.10g carbs, 0.02g fiber, 0.08g NET CARBS, 1.63g protein, 60 mg sodium

Cream of Leek Soup

March 2, 2015March 7, 2015Peggy 5 Comments

Cream of Leek Soup

I had a huge leek I wanted to use up today and decided upon soup. We just LOVE soup in the winter. In fact, I’m pretty crazy about soups year ’round! This one was quick and incredibly tasty.

Funny story on this one. I hollered to the back side of the house today where my husband was hand painting his little lead toys. “I’m trying a cream of leek soup today. Do you want that or do you just want to make a sandwich?” He answered “Sure!” because he loves my soups. I set about my task.

Well, we sat down at the table, he dipped his up, tasted it with a look of trepidation. He said it was good, to which I replied, “I haven’t made Cream of Leek Soup in ages!” He looked up, smiled and said “I thought you said we were having cream of WHEAT soup!” He went on to say he thought that rather odd, but added, “You always make soups I like and I knew better than to question what you had chosen to serve.” Not sure whether I feel complimented or insulted? LOL We pondered over the notion of “Cream of Wheat” soup, laughed a lot and wondered what that might actually taste like. 🙂

Anyway, this was truly delicious and on the table in 30 minutes flat! This recipe is suitable for Atkins Induction phase, Keto diets and Primal fans. Paleo followers will want to use coconut milk instead of the cream.

DISCLAIMER: By personal choice I am not paid for this book promotion nor for the inclusion of my recipes therein. I do so because they are GREAT cookbooks any low-carb cook would be proud to add to their cookbook collection.

INGREDIENTS:

3 oz. bacon (about 3 slices)

3 c. leeks, diced, loosely packed (this was 1 large one)

3½ c. homemade chicken broth

1 c. water

1 c. heavy cream

¼ tsp. sea salt

1/8 tsp. black pepper

Dash of your favorite thickener if not thick enough for you

DIRECTIONS: Brown the bacon in a 4 qt. soup pot. Remove bacon to paper towel. Crumble when cooled. Add the leeks to the hot bacon grease and stir-fry until they are tender (about 5 minutes). Add the chicken broth and water. Next add salt and pepper. Bring to boil and lower to a simmer for 10 minutes to allow flavors to co-mingle. Add the cream. Either using a blender/food processor or stick blender, pulse/puree almost to a smooth cream. The cream when whipped will likely thicken right up. If not, dust in a wee bit of your favorite thickener and stir a few minutes to allow it to thicken on up. I used a very light dusting of xanthan gum. When it has thickened up, serve with some of the bacon crumbles on top.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes approximately six 1½ c. servings, each contains:

280 calories

23 g fat

7.66 g carbs, 0.96 g fiber, 6.70 g NET CARBS

7.16 g protein

239 mg sodium

Beef and Leek Pie

February 28, 2015November 24, 2020Peggy Leave a comment

I braised a pot roast this week and had quite a bit leftover. Had over a cup of the gravy/juices left, too. With some fresh leeks and mushrooms on hand, I was craving something with a pastry on top and came up with this simple recipe. it took under 30 minutes to prepare and another 30-40 to bake. And was this pie ever delicious! To have had so little inside, it was almost like eating beef hash with a crust on top. Yummy! This recipe is not suitable for Induction due to the Carbquik and oat fiber. But look what you have to look forward to once you get to phase 2 of Atkins! It is suitable for Keto if you can fit the carbs into your daily limits. This is not suitable for Primal-Paleo

DISCLAIMER: I am not paid for this book promotion nor for the inclusion of my recipes therein. I do so merely because they are GREAT cookbooks any low-carb cook would be proud to add to their cookbook collection.

INGREDIENTS:

12 oz. diced, well-trimmed leftover beef roast (about 1¾c.)

about 2 c. leftover beef gravy/juices (I only had 1½ but it needed more)

2 T. butter or bacon grease

1 leek, cut in ½” slices

5 oz. fresh mushrooms, quartered

1/8 tsp. salt

¼ tsp. coarse black pepper

1 recipe my Peggy’s Flour” Pie Crust

DIRECTIONS: Make the pie dough per that recipes instructions. Roll between two sheets of plastic. Set aside while you make the filling.

Cut the root tip off the white part of the leek. Cut any bad part off the green tops. Slice the leek in half lengthwise. Carefully wash out any dirt that is hiding between the layers, especially the outer leaves where most of it will be hiding. When well rinsed of dirt, shake out the water in the sink and slice leek into ½” slices.

Melt the butter/bacon grease in a deep skillet or wok. Add the leeks and saute until medium soft. Add the diced meat and brown, stirring for a few minutes. Add the mushrooms and continue to stir fry until they are about no longer opaque. Add the gravy and if you like (I do) a dash of thyme. If not on Induction, a tiny splash of white wine is good in this. Stir to blend well and remove from heat.

Preheat oven to 375º. Grease a quiche pan or glass pie plate. Scrape the filling into the dish with your cooking spoon. Go over and pull the top plastic film off the crust gently. Pick up the crust with the bottom film with both hands and carefully tip it onto the meat filling. Remove the top plastic carefully. Push down the edges inside the lip of the quiche pan or crimp the edges decoratively if you are using a pie plate. Place pie in a 375º oven for about 30 minutes or until browned to your liking. ENJOY!

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 5 servings, each contains:

268 calories

19.34 g fat

17.64 g carbs, 13.4 g fiber, 4.24 g NET CARBS

21.6 g protein

268 mg sodium

Spaghetti Squash Carbonara

February 26, 2015October 14, 2020Peggy 18 Comments

I decided last night tonight we hadn’t cooked a Spaghetti Carbonara in ages and I wanted to give a classic recipe a new twist using spaghetti squash for the noodles. It was delicious! I think my husband liked it even more then me! And he usually doesn’t care for spaghetti squash.

Unfortunately, I was out of black olives, and classic carbonara usually has some in it. I tossed in a small can of drained mushrooms instead and this version came out GREAT! This recipe is a little high in carbs because the spaghetti squash itself if a bit carb-y. On the brighter side, it’s all healthy carbs, so you can eat this one guilt-free. 🙂 This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins, Keto diets, Primal and Paleo folks will want to use coconut milk for the cream.

I wish I could get smaller squash, but our stores only seem to stock them 3# and larger as a rule. It would be so pretty to serve a half on each plate. But I’ve only found a small squash ONE time at the store in the 17 years I’ve lived in this town. Maybe it’s because everything’s bigger in Texas?

NOTE: If you can get smaller squashes, or grow your own, I would use two smaller 1-1½# squashes for serving 4 people and place one half on each plate.

INGREDIENTS:

3 lb. raw weight spaghetti squash (yields 4 cups cooked threads)

1 c. chopped low-sodium bacon

2 oz. red onion, chopped coarsely

1 oz. red bell pepper (or any color)

1 clove garlic, minced

½ c. parsley

¼ c. heavy cream

1 egg yolk

¼ c. shredded Parmesan cheese

VARIATIONS: Add a few sliced black olives for a more authentic dish (I was out); or toss in a small can of drained mushrooms (or 4 fresh ones sliced, added to the saute pan with the onion).

DIRECTIONS: Cut off squash stem. Cut squash in half lengthwise. Place face down in dish with 1/2″ water and microwave on HI for about 25 minutes (only 13 minutes if you do them one at a time). When done, drain off water, scoop out seeds and discard. Fork out the threads into the baking dish and set aside. Preheat oven to 350º. Place the squash shells in a baking pan.

Mix the cream, egg yolk and Parmesan in a dish and beat with a fork to blend well. Set aside for a few minutes.

In a skillet, brown the bacon. Add onion and saute until tender. Add red pepper and garlic and saute a couple minutes. Stir in the parsley and let it wilt a couple minutes as well. Lower heat. Stir in the egg-cheese mixture. Stir the squash threads in now. Spoon the filling back into the shells and pop the pan into your preheated oven. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until cheese-egg mixture appears done. Each filled half will probably feed two people, especially if you have a salad or other vegetable with this.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 4 servings, each contains:

237 cals, 25g fat, 13.35g carbs, 2.87g fiber, 10.48g NET CARBS, 10.72 g protein, 867 mg sodium

Hotsie-Totsies

February 26, 2015December 11, 2016Peggy Leave a comment

Hotsie-Tots

Another fun breakfast-on-the-go possibility and boy are they tasty! Fun for the kiddoes, too! These are suitable for Atkins Induction, Keto diets and Primal followers. Omit the cheese if Paleo.

I used a Chicago Metalic dessert bar pan http://www.amazon.com/Purple-Silicone-Sponge-Finger-Bakeware/dp/B00AFRALOS, but other companies make them, too. You can also use a muffin pan but naturally, end up with a muffin shape.

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INGREDIENTS:

5 small eggs (had a carton of larges that were all quite small!)

1 medium jalapeno, seeded (more if you want them really spicy)

4 oz. smoked sausage, cut into 1″ chunks

½ c. shredded cheese (I used cheddar)

2 T. olive oil to oil pan

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350º. I used a silicone breakfast bar pan, but a muffin pan, Twinkie® pan, or a muffin-top pan will work just fine. You can even use an 8×8″ square pan or loaf pan and cut into 9 portions. Oil 9 slots of your pan with the olive oil using a basting brush. Set aside. In a food processor, blender or bowl, pulse about 10 pulses (or chop by hand) the sausage and jalapeno. My sausage and jalapeno were fairly fine. Add eggs and pulse a couple times. Stir in the cheese. I actually forgot my cheese and just sprinkled it on top after I had filled the pan. Either way will work.

Distribute the mixture evenly in 9 of the pan slots (about 3 T. per slot). Mine were about half full and rose nicely to the top during cooking. Pop into 350º oven for 18-19 minutes or until firm to touch in the center. Remove and cool a bit in the pan. Then with a knife tip, gently loosen each end and lift them onto your serving platter.

These should freeze OK. I would recommend thawing/rewarming on a DEFROST 10-20 seconds in your microwave to just warm them and avoid overcooking to a state of tough and rubbery. I’m personally not too fond of freezing egg, but many people do and don’t mind their results. 🙂

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 9 Hotsie-Totsies, each contains:

135 calories, 11.5 g fat, 0.9 g carbs, 0.04 g fiber, 0.86 g NET CARBS, 6.92 g protein, 180 mg sodium

Crawfish-Cod Chowder

February 24, 2015February 25, 2015Peggy Leave a comment

Crawfish-Cod Chowder

This is a little chowder I put together for lunch today. Had a little baby asparagus in the fridge and a half package of crawfish in my freezer leftover from a recipe last week. Along with a couple fish filets also in the freezer, this went together nicely and quite quickly. It’s delicious and quite filling. This is suitable once you are out of the initial 2 weeks of low-carb Induction and for keto dieters. Also suitable for Primal followers. The wine makes it unacceptable for those still in Atkins Induction or for Paleo followers. Omit the wine (or substitute coconut milk for the cream) and anyone can enjoy this recipe!

INGREDIENTS:

4 slices bacon, chopped

2 oz. onion, chopped

½ c. celery, chopped

1 c. asparagus, chopped

1 c. homemade seafood stock

2 c. homemade chicken stock

½ c. heavy cream

1/8 tsp. ground thyme

Dash each black and cayenne pepper

¼ tsp. salt

6 oz. cooked crawfish tail meat

12 oz. fish of your choosing (I use Swai or Cod), cut into bite-sized pieces

¼ tsp. xanthan gum or any plan-suitable thickener

DIRECTIONS: Brown the bacon in a large soup pot. When browned, add the onion, celery and chopped asparagus. Saute until they are tender. Add the seafood and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer. Add all spices. Simmer for 1o minutes for flavors to mingle. While it simmers, coarsely chop the fish into 1/2″-3/4″ bite-size pieces. Add fish and crawfish to the pot. Add the cream and stir/simmer just until fish is opaque and done. Lightly dust your thickening agent over the soup surface as it is simmering and stir. Allow time for it to slightly thicken. Serve at once with a garnish of parsley or bits of red and green pepper if desired.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION: Makes six 1½ cup servings, each contains:

247 calories

16.83 g fat

2.23 g carbs, .38 g fiber, 1.85 g NET CARBS

17.31 g protein

354 mg sodium

Einkorn Cranberry Walnut Cake

February 19, 2015November 24, 2021Peggy 5 Comments

This little snack or breakfast coffeecake is delicious. I was looking at clafouti recipes today and one for a cherry clafouti caught my eye. I decided that since I have never cared for the eggy, wetness of clafouti, I’d try it as a straight cake instead and toss in some walnuts for good measure. Good decision! It came out GREAT! I used cranberries I had previously frozen in the bag, but you could use fresh as well, or sugar-free dried berries if you make your own.

This recipe isn’t suitable until you reach the nuts and berries rung of the Atkins Phase 2 OWL carb ladder.

INGREDIENTS:

1 c. my Einkorn Bake Mix (or use a lower-carb bake mix for lower carbs)

1/3 c. heavy cream

3 large eggs, beaten

3/4 c. erythritol sweetener

Dash of stevia (I used 1/8 tsp. KAL stevia)

1 c. chopped fresh or frozen cranberries

½ c. walnuts, coarsely chopped

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350º. Grease a baking pie plate or quiche dish with coconut oil and set aside. Chop the berries and walnuts coarsely (I did so in my food processor pulsing a few times). Add the bake mix and sweeteners and stir/pulse until blended. Add the eggs and cream and pulse 1-2 more times to mix well into a chunky batter. Scrape batter into prepared dish, spreading evenly. Pop into 350º oven for 35-40 minutes or until center passes a toothpick test. Slice into 6 servings and serve warm with coffee or cool and add a dollop of sweetened whipped cream when serving if you like.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 6 servings, each contains (not including whipped cream):

264 cals, 23g fat, 9.25g carbs, 3.01g fiber, 6.24g NET CARBS (lower with other low-carb bake mix), 9.81g protein, 97 mg sodium

Pineapple Bars

February 13, 2015February 13, 2015Peggy 6 Comments

Pineapple Bars

I made a delicious cake-like bar that can be eaten at breakfast or enjoyed as an afternoon snack. Hot, it will need to be eaten with a fork on a plate; cooled you can pick them up and eat with your hands. These would be a nice treat for a child’s school lunchbox.

This recipe is not suitable until the higher-carb fruits rung of the Atkins Phase 2 OWL carb reintroduction ladder.

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INGREDIENTS:

1 T. warm water

1 tsp. dry yeast

¼ tsp. sugar (consumed by the yeast)

½ c. almond flour

1 T. oat fiber (omit for a 100% gluten-free version)

1/3 c. granular erythritol (or sweetener to equal 1/3 c. sugar)

¼ c. golden flax meal

¼ c. plain whey protein powder

1 tsp. baking powder

3 T. cream cheese, softened

2 large eggs, beaten

1½ c. shredded Monterrey Jack or mozzarella cheese

1 tsp. cider vinegar

1 T. heavy cream

1 20 oz. can of pineapple chunks, drained and chopped coarsely

STREUSEL TOPPING: 2½ T. cold butter, 1 T. cinnamon, 2 T. erythritol or Splenda, ¼ c. chopped walnuts (or other nuts) and ¼ c. flax meal

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350º. Grease an 8″ square metal baking pan and set aside. Dissolve the yeast with the warm water and sugar in a small saucer. Set aside for now.

Soften cream cheese in medium mixing bowl. Beat in the eggs, cream, vinegar, shredded cheeses and stir well until smooth. Add the proofed yeast mixture and stir again. Finally add the pineapple and stir. Measure all the dry ingredients on top of the wet and stir with a rubber spatula to blend until you have a uniform mixture. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, spreading it evenly.

For the topping, using a fork, blend the cold butter, erythritol, 1 T. flax meal and cinnamon in a small bowl until it is a coarse, crumbly mixture. Add the nuts, stir well. Sprinkle evenly over the batter and pop pan into 350º oven. Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until dry to the touch, firm in the center and lightly browned around the edges. Cool a few minutes and cut evenly into 9 squares. Serve warm on a plate with breakfast coffee or tea. Store leftovers in a plastic bag in your refrigerator.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 9 servings, each contains:

235 calories

20 g fat

4.48 g carbs, 2.48 g fiber, 2 g NET CARBS

11.8 g protein

265 mg sodium

Cookie Bouquet

February 11, 2015February 11, 2015Peggy 2 Comments

Cookie Bouquet

Just in time for Valentine’s Day. I modified my regular sugar cookie recipe, adding oat fiber, coconut flour and changing up the sweetener, to come up with these tasty blossoms. My husband doesn’t like icing much so I didn’t bother. The flower detail would be totally lost if iced anyway. These have a very nice texture and flavor, somewhere between a sugar cookie and shortbread. These are not acceptable until the nut rung of the OWL ladder. I don’t think this batter is suitable for rolling and making cut-out cookies as even when well-chilled, it gets soft and difficult to work with almost immediately once taken from the fridge. So I recommend sticking with simple round cookies or molds of some sort.

Close Up View

INGREDIENTS:

1 stick softened butter, unsalted

¼ c. granular Splenda

2 T. granular erythritol

1 beaten egg

1 tsp. vanilla (almond extract is good for variety)

1 c. almond flour

2 T. oat fiber (or 2 T. more almond flour for 100% gluten-free version)

1 T. coconut flour

DIRECTIONS: Cream butter and sweeteners until smooth. Add beaten egg, vanilla and beat well. Add all dry ingredients, blend well and chill batter for 1 hour. Spoon up a rounded teaspoon of dough, roll into a ball of dough and place onto parchment and press slightly to a round cookie (or drop into your mold slots). If using molds, press slightly flat to fill mold bottom. I use Nordicware’s “mini flower” bundt pan (shown below with 1½” slots). Other silicone candy molds could be used. The 15 slots are nearly full with batter before baking, slightly rising out of the slot while they cook and settling back level when cooled. If baked round on a sheet pan, these don’t spread out much so ½” between is adequate spacing. I get 15 cookies from this recipe. YMMV: your mileage may vary. Just gently poke a kebab stick in each and place in a vase. I anchored mine in some play sand I have, but a floral foam block for flower arrangements will work, too,

Bake at 350º for 18 minutes. Do not over brown. FAIR WARNING: Allow to completely cool before attempting to remove from the pan with a knife tip or spatula. They will definitely tear up on you if handled while the slightest bit warm.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 15 cookie “flowers”, each contains:

105 calories

10.3 g fat

2.98 g carbs, 1.62 g fiber, 1.36 g NET CARBS

2.15 g protein

9.13 g sodium

ENTIRE RECIPE CONTAINS: 1581 calories, 154g fat, 44.8g carbs, 24.4g fiber, 20.4g net carbs, 32.3 g protein (provided should your cookie count come out different)

Raspberry Banana Jello®

February 10, 2015April 17, 2023Peggy 2 Comments

This was my Dad’s favorite way to eat Jello® and certainly one of mine. Although I don’t think of this as a “recipe” in the creative sense, I thought I’d share it with you as it is indeed very tasty if you’ve never had it before.

I was rummaging around in my freezer today deciding what to fix for dinner and saw the tail end of a bag of frozen raspberries I had totally forgotten was in there. You know how that is with a big chest freezer. I just then remembered I had bought quite a lot of sugar-free Jello® last week at the store and luck would have it, I had 2 packages of raspberry in the batch! I haven’t made Jello® in ages, and when I realized I also had one banana left on the counter, Dad’s favorite immediately came to mind.

This is so good, the usual whipped cream I have on Jello® just isn’t needed to enjoy this. Funny how sometimes the simplest of desserts can still be very satisfying. This recipe is not suitable until you get to the higher fruits level in Phase 2 of Atkins. You can enjoy this on Keto diets if you can fit the carbs into your daily carb limit.

INGREDIENTS:

2 small 4-serving boxes sugar-free raspberry gelatin

2 c. boiling water

1 cup ice water (2 c. cold water if you need 8 servings or want less intense/tart flavor)

1 cup frozen, unsweetened raspberries (use less for lower carbs)

1 7″ banana sliced (use less for lower carbs)

DIRECTIONS: Bring a kettle of water to boil. Place gelatin powder in a serving dish. Pour 2 cups boiling water over the gelatin and stir until the gelatin is totally dissolved. Add the frozen berries and stir until they have defrosted. Add the cup of ice water. Stir again. Slice the banana into the jello as evenly as you can get the slices. Be sure each slice is submerged in the gelatin to seal if from air and darkening. Place dish in refrigerator. In 30 minutes, go back and push the banana slices down again to be sure they stay submerged (I get mad at myself when I forget to go back and do that, which I have done often). When dessert is totally gelled, in about 2-3 hours, serve in individual cups or bowls. although the gelatin boxes say this serves 8, I don’t think those serving sizes are realistic for adults, so I have calculated this recipe at 6 servings.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 6 servings, each contains:

50 cals, 0.33g fat, 9.63g carbs, 3.21g fiber, 6.42g NET CARBS (4.81 NC if 8 servings), 2.6g protein, 80 mg sodium

Bacon-dogs

February 10, 2015April 9, 2016Peggy Leave a comment

Bacon-dogs

I was wanting something cheesy and bacon-y yesterday for breakie, but just didn’t want eggs. Having made a new version of my Einkorn bread the day before, I decided to pull it together into a tasty breakfast that even my husband gave a thumbs up to. This is a little carb-y with the Einkorn roll, but you can use some other low-carb bread and pull the carbs down on this. You won’t get the chewy quality these have, but they will perhaps be adequate for you. This recipe as-written would not be suitable until Pre-Maintenance or Maintenance phases of Atkins or Keto. There is Einkorn wheat flour in the bread, folks, so definitely not gluten-free either.

These are extremely filling, the bread being made with psyllium. You will probably find one will feed 2 children. Those we reheated the next day, again in the regular oven, were as delicious as they were on the first day.

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DISCLAIMER: I do not accept payment for this book promotion. I promote the books because they are GREAT cookbooks anyone would be proud to add to their cookbook collection.

INGREDIENTS:

1 recipe my Einkorn-Arrowroot Sandwich Buns

5 oz. cheddar cheese (1 slice per “dog”)

10 slices low-sodium thick bacon, cooked (2 per “dog”)

VARIATION: Scramble some eggs and spoon a little down each bun before adding the cheese and reheating.

DIRECTIONS: Make the bread as instructed in that recipe, rolling the 5 portions into 6″ “ropes” and slightly pressing them flat before baking. Remove from oven but don’t turn the oven off. When totally cooled, slice the buns, open out and set aside.

While the bread is cooling a bit, fry the bacon until done but not overly crisp. Drain and place 2 slices bacon into each sliced bun. Cut and arrange the cheese on each bun. Close the bun and set them back onto your bread baking sheet and replace in a 350º oven for 5-7 minutes just to melt the cheese. Remove from oven and ENJOY!

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 5 Bacon-dogs, each contains:

528 calories (use 1 slice bacon to lower calories)

40.9 g fat (use 1 slice bacon to lower fat)

21.4 g carbs, 10.1 g fiber, 11.3 g NET CARBS

27.5 g protein

735 mg sodium

Chocolate Blueberries

February 9, 2015May 12, 2019Peggy 2 Comments

Chocolate Blueberries

There’s no law says you have to do chocolate covered STRAWBERRIES for your special occasions. Other berries will work, too! Today, I had big, plump blueberries in the fridge :).

This recipe makes a pretty big batch of the chocolate sauce, around 1¼ cups, so I’m providing the per teaspoon nutritional info. One teaspoon will definitely coat 1 blueberry, maybe even two. This recipe is suitable once you reach the berries level of Phase 2 Atkins or for Keto diets as well.

INGREDIENTS/NEEDS:

Some toothpicks

Fresh blueberries (pick the biggest ones in the carton)

Half lemon, orange or apple for your serving “holder”

1 c. sugar free chocolate chips

1 square unsweetened baking chocolate

¼ c. melted butter

1 T. coconut oil (or 1 T. more butter)

6 drops liquid Splenda or other liquid sweetener

DIRECTIONS: First, push a toothpick through the number of berries you want to make. Push through the stem scar but not quite all the way out the top. Lay them aside until the chocolate sauce is made. Set the lemon half on your serving plate and set aside also.

CHOCOLATE SAUCE: In a small saucepan, melt the butter and coconut oil in a double boiler over medium heat or use a makeshift double-boiler, where you put your saucepan down in a skillet of 1″ boiling water (that’s all a double boiler really is anyway). Add the square of chocolate and melt slowly in the hot melted oil/butter. Add the chocolate chips, stirring constantly so the chocolate will stay smooth.

ASSEMBLY: Take each berry pick and dip the berry just deep enough into the chocolate sauce to coat the berry. Lift carefully straight up and let it drip, rolling to even the chocolate as evenly as you can get it. When it appears to be stopped dripping, carefully poke the berry pick into the lemon half. Repeat for all berries. It will take about ½ tsp. chocolate sauce to coat each berry. Refrigerate any leftover sauce for future use on more berries or for a chocolate shell coating for vanilla ice cream bars. Pop the plate into the refrigerator for about 10-15 minutes so the chocolate can harden. When the chocolate is hard to the touch, ENJOY! These should pretty much go from fridge to mouth or they will melt, so it’s not really a good party food to sit around for long on a buffet table.

VARIATIONS: Big fresh strawberries, pineapple chunks, or orange segments with outer skin/membrane removed.

NUTRITIONAL INFO (sauce only): Makes about 1¼ cups sauce (20 T.= 60 tsp.). Each tsp. should coat 1-2 berries. The berry will add another 0.2 net carbs. Each teaspoon of sauce contains

19 cals, 1.79g fat, 0.55g carbs, 0.21g fiber, 0.34g NET CARBS (the blueberry adds 0.2 g additional net carbs, so one berry treat has 0.56 NET CARBS total), 0.2 g protein

Einkorn-Arrowroot Sandwich Buns

February 8, 2015February 11, 2015Peggy 10 Comments

Einkorn-Arrowroot Sandwich Buns

I continue to improve my Einkorn Sandwich Bun recipe in an attempt to make it whiter and to eliminate the “damp” feeling on the inside. Suffice it to say I’m getting there. With today’s experiment I got rid of the “slightly damp” interior that bothered my husband. When cooled, these were not damp feeling inside (they are when hot however). The coconut flour addition corrected that issue.

Also they are now lighter in color with the addition of a little bit of arrowroot powder. Now I admit freely that this isn’t the lowest carb bread recipe out there folks, and clearly not suitable until you’re at or near goal weight. But if you’re looking for a better low-carb yeast-tasting bread that is really, really good, you NEED to try this recipe. 🙂 Even my husband ate one and said he could learn to eat this bread regularly. Not suitable until Pre-Maintenance or Maintenance of the Atkins or Keto programs when slightly higher carbs are permissible.

For hot-dog buns, roll the 5 portions of dough into 6″ “ropes” and slightly press flat on the pan before baking.

Interior view

INGREDIENTS:

1 tsp. dry yeast

1/3 tsp. real sugar (consumed by the yeast)

¼ c. very warm tap water

1½ c. almond flour

4 T. psyllium husk powder

2 tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. sea salt

3 T. Einkorn flour

1 T. arrowroot powder

1 T. coconut flour

3 egg whites (I use ½ c.+1 T. carton variety)

2½ T. cider vinegar

½ c. boiling water (in addition to the warm water listed above)

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350º. Put a kettle of water on to boil. In a small bowl dissolve the yeast, sugar and warm tap water. Set aside while you continue. Mix all the dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Stir well to be sure it is uniformly mixed. Mix the egg whites and vinegar in a small bowl with a fork, add the proofed yeast mixture, stir to blend and add the mixture all at once to the dry ingredients. Stir quickly with the fork, to make a uniform thick dough. Now pour 1/2 cup boiling water over the top of the dough and with the fork, stir very quickly until it comes together into a uniform consistency. Switch to a rubber spatula and continue to stir and fold as it thickens up to form a single ball of dough.

Spread evenly in the bottom of the bowl and with your rubber spatula portion off 5 equal portions (by eyeball) of dough. Scoop up each portion and roll in your palms into a round ball. Place each ball on a non-stick, silicone-lined or oiled baking sheet. Press them down slightly to about 1″ thick. They don’t spread much during cooking.

Pop into preheated 350º oven and bake for about 45 minutes. Cool partially before attempting to slice or they will get pack-y inside just like regular flour bread when sliced too hot. Like all low-carb cakes and breads, I store these in gallon ziploc bags in the fridge. 🙂

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 5 buns, each contains:

250 calories

17.24 g fat

19.98 g carbs10.12 g fiber, 9.86 g NET CARBS

10.46 g protein

309 mg sodium

Lobster Cakes with Tarragon Sauce

January 31, 2015April 21, 2023Peggy 2 Comments

I’ve made crab cakes, tuna cakes, salmon cakes and fish cakes over the years. Tonight I decided to thaw two small lobster tails and try my hand at a delicate lobster cake. Turned out to be a real good idea! The sauce was an afterthought as I was cooking the vegetables, but it, too, came out quite good and enhanced the lobster cakes. Since there are only two of us, I had some cakes and sauce leftover. These should freeze well, but I’ll probably just eat them for lunch in a day or two. FYI: The leftover tarragon sauce is delicious on your breakfast scrambled eggs in the morning. 🙂

This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins, Keto diets and Primal-Paleo provided you omit the sauce or make it with coconut milk instead. I am providing nutritional info for these items separately in case you want to use the sauce for other uses. 🙂

INGREDIENTS:

3 T. unsalted butter

1½ oz. onion, chopped very fine

1 7″ stalk celery, chopped very fine

1 oz. red bell pepper, chopped very fine

¼ c. parsley, chopped

1/8 tsp. thyme

Dash cayenne pepper

Dash sea salt

2 large eggs

2 small 4-oz. lobster tails, shell removed, chopped

½ c. low-carb bread crumbs (I used Joseph’s Oat-Flax Pita)

1 T. olive oil

DIRECTIONS: Melt butter in non-stick skillet. Sauté onion, celery and bell pepper until tender. Add parsley, thyme, pepper, salt. Add lobster meat. Stir and continue to sauté for 1-2 more minutes or until lobster is opaque. Remove from heat and scrap into a bowl. Add bread crumbs and stir. Add egg, beat and combine all with a spoon until well-blended.

Make the sauce over low heat now (recipe below). Stir often while lobster cakes are browning.

Wipe out same skillet with paper towel and add the olive oil. Heat to medium-high. Mark off the mixture in the bowl into 6 equal portions. Dip up each portion successively, forming them into patties in your palms and gently place them the skillet. do not disturb until the first side is set up and lightly browned. Flip them and brown the second side. Serve with the Tarragon Sauce.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: (cakes) Makes 6 cakes, each has:

136.7 cals, 10g fat, 3.03g carbs, 1.03g fiber, 2g NET CARBS, 9.26g protein, 316 mg sodium

TARRAGON SAUCE

4 oz. melted cream cheese (use microwave or small saucepan)

½ c. heavy cream

1/3 c. water

2 tsp. red wine vinegar

2 tsp. plan suitable mayonnaise

¼ tsp. tarragon (more if you like)

Dash black or red cayenne pepper

On a paper plate, soften or melt the cream cheese in the microwave (or in saucepan over lowest heat). Place cream cheese in saucepan and add the cream and water, whisking together. Add vinegar, mayo and spices. Whisk a couple minutes to blend to a very smooth sauce. Add additional water by tablespoons if it gets too thick, as it will thicken as it simmers. Spoon 2 T. over each patty. If there is any sauce leftover is GREAT on scrambled eggs in the morning. 🙂

NUTRITIONAL INFO FOR SAUCE: Makes 10 servings of 2 T. each. Each serving of sauce contains:

67 cals, 6.9g fat, 0.53g carbs, 0.01 g fiber, 0.52g NET CARBS, 1g protein, 41 mg sodium

Breakfast Sticks

January 30, 2015February 6, 2023Peggy 191 Comments

Realized I hadn’t made one of my more popular recipes in quite some time this morning. I resurrected this tasty ‘Top o’ the Morning’ treat today. You can use the bottom of muffin cups for these (circle shape) or muffin-top pans (flatter shape) as well. These are simply delicious! Just the right amount of cheese to make them a bit creamy without it being overpowering. Just the right amount of chopped vegetables to not dominate the flavor profile so the eggs still speak up.

These are suitable for all phases of Atkins, Keto diets and Primal Blueprint as well. Omit the cheese for Paleo adherence. Below is a photo of the pan I used. Although they still make it (BTW, it is rimmed in metal framing for support, which I really like), it is difficult to find on the internet. You can make this recipe using muffin pans however. I stumbled upon these two Chicago Bakeware pans at my local Tuesday Morning store several years ago and snatched them up. 🙂 Other companies make similar pans: http://www.amazon.com/Purple-Silicone-Sponge-Finger-Bakeware/dp/B00AFRALOS.

This recipe garnered more Facebook fans than any all other recipes I have posted here. Simply amazing! Thanks to all my readers and fans for making the recipe go viral on its original 2015 posting. When you try these, you’ll see why it went off the chart! 🙂

INGREDIENTS:

1 T. oil of choice

2 slices bacon, chopped

3 oz. breakfast sausage

2 large green onions, chopped

4 large eggs, beaten

1 oz. (¼ c.) shredded Monterrey Jack or Mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350º. Oil your muffin/pan slots with oil using a brush and set aside. Beat the eggs with the shredded cheese in a medium mixing bowl and set aside. Using a non-stick skillet, brown the bacon. Add the sausage crumbled, stirring and cooking until it is no longer pink. Add onion and saute just until onion begins to cook/wilt. Remove from heat and cool 1-2 minutes. Add the meat mixture to the egg mixture and beat together well with a spoon. Using a ¼c. measuring cup, scoop up ¼ c. of the mixture into each of 8 slots. Pop into preheated 350º oven for about 15-20 minutes (ovens do vary) until just set and barely beginning to brown on tops. Remove from pans/slot with a knife tip and serve at once.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 8 Breakfast Sticks, each contains:

142.4 cals, 12.3g fat, 0.73g carbs, 0.16g fiber, 0.57g NET CARBS, 7.16g protein, 220 mg sodium

Eggplant Spread

January 28, 2015November 15, 2015Peggy 3 Comments

Eggplant Spread

This recipe is a delicious new use of one of my other very popular recipes (Eggplant al Pesto). This is served as a spread on your favorite low-carb crackers rather than as a layered vegetable dish or meat-added casserole. 🙂 Prep is only slightly changed. This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins, Keto diets and Primal guidelines. Omit the cheese for Paleo adherence.

I use just a hint of pesto sauce to make the flavors pop in this. This is one of those dishes that isn’t so pretty. But face it, Baba Ganoush isn’t a pretty either yet people love it! DELICIOUS, this one! It will go fast at parties, so make a double or triple batch for a big crowd. 🙂

NOTE: If you use a regular skillet to saute your eggplant, you will need this amount of olive oil. Using a non-stick skillet will allow you to use less oil to cut calories and fat. Your call. As an alternative, you could lightly grease a baking sheet, bake slices of the eggplant for about 20 minutes at 375º and just before assembling this dish, chop it and add. The final eggplant spread will taste the same regardless of your prep on the eggplant.

More delicious low-carb side-dish recipes like this one can be at your fingertips with your very own set of Jennifer Eloff and friends’ best-selling cookbooks LOW CARBING AMONG FRIENDS. She has collaborated with famous low-carb Chef George Stella and several other talented chefs to bring you a wealth of delicious recipes you are going to want to try. Even a few of my recipes are in her cookbooks! Order your 5-volume set TODAY! (available individually) from Amazon or: http://amongfriends.us/order.php

DISCLAIMER: I do not get paid for this book promotion or for the inclusion of my recipes therein. I do so merely because they are GREAT cookbooks any low-carb cook would be proud to add to their cookbook collection.

INGREDIENTS:

8 oz. eggplant, peeled, chopped into ½” dice

3 T. olive oil [see notes in red above]

1 T. my pesto sauce (or any commercial plan-suitable pesto sauce)

½ c. low carb spaghetti sauce (or low-carb sauce like Lucini in a jar)

1 T. Parmesan cheese, grated

1/3 c. mozzarella cheese, grated

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350º. If baking eggplant, follow the directions in red above, remove from oven and chop. Spread it out evenly in a pretty oven-proof serving dish. If sauteing eggplant, heat oil in skillet and saute the eggplant, turning often with a spoon, sauteing until it is completely translucent (will be nearly done at this point). When eggplant is done, place in a pretty oven-proof serving dish. There’s no need to grease the baking dish as the eggplant will have absorbed most of the olive oil. Dot the eggplant evenly with the spaghetti sauce. Then dot evenly with the pesto sauce. Sprinkle on the Parmesan and finally spread the mozzarella evenly on top. Pop into a 350º oven for about 10-15 minutes to thoroughly melt the cheese and to allow flavors to blend. Remove and serve on a food warming element or tray with your favorite low-carb crackers. My favorite Almond Arrowroot Crackers with black pepper are outstanding with this spread.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: I can’t possibly know how much 1 individual will eat of this, so I’ve calculated 1/4 of this recipe is an adult serving and that amount contains (numbers do not include crackers):

214.5 calories

18.5 g fat

6.3 g carbs, 2.63 g fiber, 3.67 g NET CARBS

7.08 g protein

71 mg sodium

141 mg potassium

Lobster Andouille Jambalaya

January 26, 2015March 7, 2015Peggy 4 Comments

Lobster Andouille Jambalaya

This recipe came out beyond delicious and I really wasn’t expecting to like the cauli-rice with this. To date, I’ve only used cauli-rice as a side dish and not in or underneath foods as shown above. But this was just marvelous! Andouille is Cajun smoked sausage. I find it not terribly different from regular smoked sausage so that is a good substitute.

This recipe is a little higher in carbs than most of my entrees, due to all the veggies in it and the veggie underpinning, but they are so healthy and so needed for the right flavor here. If you need to cut carbs a bit on Induction Phase, trim off a little of the andouille, breakfast sausage and a little of the red or green pepper (or eat smaller servings).

This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins, Keto diets and Primal-Paleo as well. Shrimp can be substituted in this jambalaya but I would use more like 1/2 lb. of shrimp as it is milder in taste.

DISCLAIMER: By personal choice, I am not paid for this book promotion nor for the inclusion of my recipes therein. I do so merely because they are GREAT cookbooks any low-carb cook would be proud to add to their cookbook collection.

INGREDIENTS:

2 slices bacon, chopped (around 2-3 oz)

6 oz. Andouille sausage, sliced (or any smoked sausage)

3 oz. breakfast sausage, crumbled into large bits

3 oz. onion, chopped

1 oz. each red and green bell pepper (or all one color)

2 large stalks of celery chopped

4 oz. lobster tail meat, chopped coarsely (more if you want)

½ c. parsley, chopped

3 Roma tomatoes, diced large

1 tsp. my Seafood Spice Blend

Dash each thyme and black pepper (DO NOT SALT)

Few drops Tobasco or Sriracha sauce

1 large head worth of my cauliflower rice

DIRECTIONS: Make the cauli-rice per that recipe’s instructions. Set aside. In a non-stick wok or large skillet over high heat, brown the bacon. Add the andouille and crumbled pork sausage and cook until sausage is no longer pink. Add the Holy Trinity, as Cajun cooks refer to the tree veggies they put in just about everything but ice cream: celery, bell pepper and onion. 🙂

Saute until the veggies are tender. Add the tomatoes and just cook until they are softened a bit, stirring often. Add the lobster, parsley and all spices and Tobasco. Simmer for about 5-10 minutes, stopping when the tomatoes are still discernible as such. You don’t want to overcook this dish. 🙂 Arrange the cauli-rice on a serving platter and top with the seafood mixture and serve. Goes nicely with a salad and your favorite low-carb bread.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 6 large adult servings, each contains:

250 calories

14 g fat

13.4 g carbs, 4.65 g fiber, 9.7 g NET CARBS

16.3 g protein

479 mg sodium

Cauli-Rice

January 24, 2015March 21, 2023Peggy 26 Comments

Many low-carbers complain they can’t get their riced cauliflower to come out to their liking. Some steam it over water, but that tends to overcook it and make it too “wet”. Some attempt sautéing it in oil, but I find it tends to overcook that way. My preferred method preparing it is in my microwave. Comes out perfect every single time! Here is how I do it:

INGREDIENTS:

1 large head cauliflower (about 6½-7″ in diameter

DIRECTIONS: Remove the leaves and with a heavy large knife, cut the flowerets off the stalks. Place them in a food processor and pulse 8-9 times or enough to reduce the flowerets to little “pellet” like pieces. I do not use the stalks as that doesn’t chop up so nicely, but you can. If you do, I would process them by themselves first a couple pulses Me, I usually eat those while I’m cooking dinner. I simply LOVE raw cauliflower. 😉

Scrape the riced cauliflower into a medium-large bowl. DO NOT ADD ANY WATER! Cover with a microwave dome or loose fitting plate or microwaveable paper plate. Microwave on HI a total of 3 minutes, stirring completely after each minute. The stirring is essential! Remove, taste and if not quite done to your liking (microwaves vary), cook 1 minute longer. If going to use your cauli-rice in a casserole, add it to the casserole UNCOOKED. If using in a wetter dish like étouffée, jambalaya or gumbo, stir the cooked meat mixture right into the cooked cauli-rice and serve at once. When serving company, I prefer to dip the cooked meat mixture on top of the cauli-rice as is shown below, as this is more attractive on the platter.

Shown with Cajun Lobster Andouille on top

Shown with Lobster Andouille

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes approximately 6 servings of 1 cup of cauli-rice, each (slight variables: exactly how big your head of cauliflower is and whether you riced the stalks or not). Each serving contains approximately:

34 cals, 0.13 g fat, 7.41 g carbs, 3.5 g fiber, 3.91 g NET CARBS, 2.76 g protein, 42 mg sodium

Chicken Eggplant Parmigiana

January 23, 2015March 15, 2023Peggy 4 Comments

This will be my final recipe post in my travelogue of tasty Italian fare. I love Chicken Parmesan, but I find it a little rich and prefer to tone the richness down with eggplant. I have a Chicken Parmigiana Casserole on my blog already, but when you serve company, the individual servings are ever so much prettier served up on the plate. So I developed this construct. 🙂 It’s so simple to make and in no time you are eating these delicious bundles of goodness with a lovely green salad and low-carb garlic bread. This dish is suitable for all phases of Atkins, Keto diets and Primal Blueprint followers as well. The cheese makes these unsuitable for Paleo folks.

INGREDIENTS:

2 ¼” thick long slices cooked eggplant (oven-baked or pan seared)

2 8-oz chicken breasts

1 T. butter

½ c. your favorite low-carb spaghetti sauce (I use Lucini “Basil”)

4 oz. mozzarella (4 slices)

½ c. shredded Parmesan cheese

Dash each oregano and basil (or Italian Seasoning blend)

DIRECTIONS: Debone and remove skin from chicken breasts (if desired). Slice each laterally into two thinner filets. Pound with tenderizer to speed up cooking.

Preheat oven to 350º. Bake the eggplant slices for 20 minutes and set aside. Melt butter in non-stick skillet. Sear the four chicken portions on each side until nearly done through and golden brown. Arrange the filets evenly in the skillet or in a baking dish. Top each with 1 T. of the spaghetti sauce and spread over top surface. Place 1/4 of the mozzarella on top of each filet evenly. Cut the two eggplant slices in half and lay one piece across the top of each chicken filet. Spread 1 T. more sauce on top of each. Sprinkle 2 T. shredded Parmesan on top. Pop pan into preheated oven and cook about 10 minutes just until cheese is melted. If you are using a baking dish (not the skillet), you can just pop into your microwave for 2-3 minutes on medium to melt the cheeses to speed things up a bit. When melted, serve at once with a lovely green salad and low-carb garlic bread. This dish freezes well.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 4 portions, each contains:

462.5 cals, 27.15 g fat, 5.32 g carbs, 1.5 g fiber, 3.82 g NET CARBS, 48.5 g protein, 888 mg sodium

Bacon Chipotle Lettuce Wraps

January 22, 2015January 22, 2015Peggy Leave a comment

Bacon Chipotle Lettuce Wraps

This quick lunch yesterday was delicious! I’m sodium sensitive so I only used one thick slice of bacon on each lettuce wrap. You might want to use two. 🙂 These are suitable for all phases of Atkins, Keto and Primal-Paleo followers as well.

More delicious low-carb recipes can be at your fingertips with your very own set of Jennifer Eloff and friends’ best-selling cookbooks LOW CARBING AMONG FRIENDS. She has collaborated with famous low-carb Chef George Stella and several other talented cooks to bring you a wealth of delicious recipes you are going to want to try. Even a few of my recipes are in each of the 5 volumes! Order your set TODAY! (also available individually) from Amazon or: http://amongfriends.us/order.php

INGREDIENTS:

1 leaf romaine lettuce

.5 oz. red bell pepper, cut into strips

.5 oz. onion, cut into strips

.5 oz. poblano pepper, cut into strips

1 tsp. bacon grease

1 piece thick-sliced bacon (or 2 thin slices)

2 T. chipotle mayonnaise (see below)

CHIPOTLE MAYO: 2T. homemade mayonnaise + ½ chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, seeded and mashed well. Puree or mash these two ingredients together with a fork until a smooth mixture is formed.

DIRECTIONS: Cook the slice of bacon in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the extra tsp. of bacon grease (if needed). Add pepper and onion strips and sear/saute until they begin to soften and lightly brown. Lift the peppers and onions onto the lettuce leaf. Add the bacon. Spread or squirt the chipotle mayo onto the “sammie”. Pick up with your hands closing the lettuce leaf and chow down!

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 1 lettuce wrap which contains:

156 calories

13.21 g fat

9.98 g carbs, 6.01 g fiber, 3.97 g NET CARBS

9.7 g protein

144 mg sodium

Cranberry Walnut Pancakes

January 22, 2015November 24, 2020Peggy Leave a comment

Cranberry Walnut Pancakes

Here’s a variation on my Fluffy Pancakes I think you’ll like. These were delicious with just regular sugar-free maple syrup, but you could also simmer some berries in water or cranberry DaVinci syrup, sweeten and thicken to taste and have a cranberry syrup if you prefer. These are not suitable until you are in Phase 2 OWL of Atkins or well on your way to reaching goal. They are delicious and I think you’ll be glad you tried them.

More delicious low-carb recipes can be at your fingertips with your very own set of Jennifer Eloff and friends’ best-selling cookbooks LOW CARBING AMONG FRIENDS. She has collaborated with famous low-carb Chef George Stella and several other talented cooks to bring you a wealth of delicious recipes you are going to want to try. Even a few of my recipes are in each of the 5 volumes! Order your set TODAY! (also available individually) from Amazon or: http://amongfriends.us/order.php

INGREDIENTS:

3 eggs, beaten

¼ c. cream

¼ c. water

¼ tsp. vanilla extract (optional)

6 drops EzSweets (small bottle) liquid sucralose

½ c. Jennifer Eloff’s Splendid Gluten-Free Bake Mix

½ c. Carbquik bake mix (or ½ c. more Jennifer’s gluten free mix for 100% gluten free version)

2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. oat fiber (omit if gluten free)

1 T. flax meal

½ c. sugar-free dried cranberries, chopped coarsely

½ c. walnuts, chopped coarsely

DIRECTIONS: Beat the eggs and wet ingredients (first 5 items) in a bowl. Measure the dry ingredients on top and stir. Add the cranberries and walnuts and stir gently to mix well. Heat and lightly oil a griddle and using a 1/3 c. measuring cup, scoop the batter onto the griddle and slightly spread it out to around 4″ circles of batter. Brown lightly. Flip and brown the other side. Serve with sugar-free maple or homemade sugar-free cranberry syrup.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes seven 4½” pancakes, each contains:

121 calories

7.2 g fat

16.4 g carbs, 9.4 g fiber, 7 g NET CARBS

9.70 g protein

180 mg sodium

Eggs Poblano with Bacon

January 22, 2015August 30, 2020Peggy 8 Comments

Eggs Poblano

These can be baked in two mini-casserole dishes (mine are 6″ long) or you can do it right on the serving plates. The flavor on these was absolutely scrumptious! I will definitely be making THIS again! One of the best egg dishes I’ve EVER created! For some bizarre reason I kept tasting POTATO flavor in this! ?? When I started making BREAKFAST, my husband kept saying “Don’t make any for me. I’ll have cereal.” He’s not fond of peppers. But when he started smelling the bacon browning, he came into the kitchen and announced he would have some after all. But I had already placed ALL the cooked toppings onto my serving of eggs (waste not, want not). I scrambled some more eggs in a little pan to scoop some back onto his serving. When he tasted it, he LIKED the dish! We agreed double toppings on one serving was overkill, but when spread out over TWO servings of eggs, was just about right. This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins, Keto diets and Primal Blueprint as well. Paleo folks naturally need to omit the cheese.

INGREDIENTS:

4 slices bacon (weighed 4 oz), chopped

1 oz. onion, chopped

2 oz. poblano pepper, chopped

Tiny Dash of chipotle pepper powder (chile powder or taco seasoning will work)

2 T. chopped cilantro

¼ c. shredded Monterrey Jack Cheese

2 T. unsalted butter

4 large eggs, beaten

DIRECTIONS: Brown the bacon in a non-stick skillet. Add the onion and poblano pepper. Saute until slightly browned. Add cilantro and spice. The bacon in this dish is salty enough for us, but add a dash of salt if you like. Turn fire off and spoon out mixture onto a paper plate. Wipe out skillet with paper towel and melt the butter in the pan next. Add the beaten eggs and scramble/saute as usual. Spoon half the eggs into each of two small individual casserole dishes (or directly onto serving plates). Sprinkle half the cheese over each. Spoon half the bacon-pepper mixture on top of each. Pop them into microwave and heat for 1-2 minutes on a LOW setting just long enough to melt the cheese well. Or you can use a regular oven at 350º for 5-10 minutes. Serve at once.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 2 servings, each contains:

408 cals, 34.5g fat, 3.3g carbs, 0.65g fiber, 2.65g NET CARBS, 22.6g protein, 480 mg sodium

8 responses to “Eggs Poblano with Bacon”

Robyn Savoie

January 22, 2015

I love poblanos! Never thought to use them with scrambled eggs and bacon. Thank you for sharing this great idea.

1. Peggy
  
  January 22, 2015
  
  They were amazing Robyn. I’m certain you’re going to like them if you’re a poblano fan. 🙂
  
Malainie

January 22, 2015

I do eggs like this except I use a locally produced green chile sauce, from here in New Mexico. I put a couple of teaspoons of it in a bowl covered with grated sharp cheddar. Nuke it for 30 seconds to melt the cheese and then add two softboiled eggs. It is so good!

1. Malainie
  
  January 22, 2015
  
  Oh, and sometimes I top it with crisp, crumbled bacon.
  
  1. Peggy
    
    January 22, 2015
    
    Sounds truly delicious. 🙂
2. Peggy
  
  January 22, 2015
  
  Yes, various chili sauces are wonderful on eggs. 🙂 I had never used poblanos with eggs before and they tasted totally different done this way……not like poblanos at all really.
  
April

January 22, 2015

I’ve been looking for some really different egg recipes and I think this will fit the bill! However, is there a typo on the fat grams? It does look terribly high.

Thanks!

1. Peggy
  
  January 22, 2015
  
  Yes, I left out my decimal point. Should be 34.5 and I’ve corrected that. Thanks so much for noticing my error, April. Hope you like this dish. I was just blown away at how good this was. 🙂